Sixers Win In Denver
DENVER (AP) -- Jrue Holiday had 22 points, Thaddeus Young added 20 and the Philadelphia 76ers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Denver Nuggets 95-89 on Sunday night.
Elton Brand had 16 points and 17 rebounds and Jodie Meeks scored 17 points for the 76ers.
Chauncey Billups had 24 points and Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson added 14 each for the Nuggets, who lost their third straight since Carmelo Anthony left the team Wednesday following the death of his sister.
Chris Andersen and J.R. Smith also each had 11 rebounds for the Nuggets.
The Nuggets led 82-70 with 8:11 left, but the 76ers surged ahead. Two baskets by Brand and six free throws tied it at 82 with 4:32 left. Young and Holiday hit jumpers to give Philadelphia an 87-84 edge, and Meeks' 3-pointer with 47.1 left gave the Sixers a 92-86 lead, their biggest of the game at that point.
Denver led by five midway through the third when Philadelphia went on a run. Consecutive jumpers by Holiday and Young got the 76ers within one and Brand hit two straight layups make it 64-61 lead with 2:17 left in the quarter.
The Nuggets missed five shots and turned it over twice to help Philadelphia take the lead, but they went on a 10-2 run to grab the lead heading into the fourth.
The Nuggets led by 12 after the first quarter but the Sixers shot 50 percent in the second quarter to close the gap. They pulled within one twice and trailed 46-43 at halftime.
The Nuggets, already playing short-handed without Anthony, lost forward Al Harrington to a dislocated right thumb early in the second quarter. Harrington was hurt when Young tipped the ball away from him as he brought it upcourt. He left the game for X-rays and did not return.
NOTES: Philadelphia guard Louis Williams and assistant coach Brian James were not with the team. Williams stayed home to be present for the expected birth of his daughter. James is in Illinois to attend the funeral for his father, who passed away Wednesday.
They also miss the 76ers' game Monday night at Golden State. ... Anthony is expected to be back when the Nuggets play Portland on Tuesday night. ... Smith set a career high with his 11 rebounds.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
