Tobias Harris not enough as Magic fall to Nuggets for 7th straight loss
DENVER (AP) -- Kenneth Faried had 17 points and nine rebounds, Randy Foye and Evan Fournier scored 18 points apiece, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Orlando Magic 120-94 Saturday night.
Quincy Miller had 16 points and 11 rebounds -- both career highs -- for Denver, which has won five straight after losing eight in a row. Seven Nuggets scored at least 13 points, including J.J. Hickson, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Denver has scored at more than 120 points three times in the five-game winning streak.
Tobias Harris had 22 points and nine rebounds and Glen Davis scored 20 points for the Magic, who have dropped seven straight.
The Magic have lost the first four games on their five-game Western Conference road trip. They haven't scored 100 points in the last seven games, and things got tougher with the absence of leading scorer Arron Afflalo.
Afflalo, who played four seasons in Denver before being dealt to Orlando in the summer of 2012, strained his right foot in Friday's loss to Sacramento. He entered Pepsi Center wearing a walking boot, depriving Orlando of much-needed offense.
Without Afflalo, the Magic didn't have enough firepower to match the suddenly rolling Nuggets.
It was apparent from the start.
Denver jumped out to a 34-19 lead in the first quarter with a 14-2 run. Ty Lawson and Evan Fournier hit consecutive 3-pointers to push the advantage to double digits.
The Nuggets used a 10-2 run in the second quarter to go up 56-33. Orlando got within 15 twice, but Foye made it 69-47 at halftime.
Davis hit two early buckets in the third quarter to get the Magic within 16, but Foye's 3-pointer made it 81-60 and J.J. Hickson's hook shot gave the Nuggets an 86-60 lead with 4:20 to go in the period.
Denver led 92-66 heading into the fourth.
With most of the starters on the bench for fourth, Denver led by as many as 36 points in the quarter.
NOTES: Nuggets F Wilson Chandler missed his second straight game with a strained left groin. ... Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn said there is no timetable for Afflalo's return. ... Denver F Anthony Randolph is out for a few days with sprained left ankle. ... Nuggets F Darrell Arthur left the game in the third quarter with a left groin strain and didn't return.
