The Denver Nuggets' woes at the free-throw line might have cost them another game if not for Raef LaFrentz.
Nick Van Exel had 33 points and 11 assists and LaFrentz grabbed a huge offensive rebound in the final seconds as the Nuggets held on for 93-90 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Denver set franchise records for fewest free throws and attempts in a loss to San Antonio on December 18 and has made only 406 this season, the third-lowest total in the league. Unfortunately
for the Nuggets, they had to beat the Sixers from the line.
Raja Bell brought Philadelphia within 91-90 with a pair of free throws with 56 seconds left. The teams traded empty possessions before the Sixers were forced to foul Van Exel with seven
seconds to go.
An 81 percent free-throw shooter, Van Exel missed both from the line, but LaFrentz beat Philadelphia's Dikembe Mutombo to the rebound. He passed to James Posey, who was fouled and made both
free throws to seal the victory.
Aaron McKie missed a strongly contested 3-pointer from the sideline at the buzzer.
"Defensively, you want the ball to go there because it is easier to trap," Van Exel said. "We wanted to switch everything and play as tough as possible. We've been playing some pretty tough
games."
Posey finished with 12 points and former Sixer Scott Williams had 10 and 13 rebounds for Denver, which snapped a four-game losing streak and a three-game slide at home.
"This was a good win for us," Denver coach Mike Evans said. "We had gotten snake-bitten the last couple of times and we did what we needed to do to come out on top. We had good chemistry
tonight. Even the guys on the bench did what they needed to do."
Bruce Bowen recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and matched a career high with three blocks.
Allen Iverson had 38 points and nine assists for Philadelphia, which fell to 1-2 on a seven-game Western Conference road trip.
"We were terrible out there," said Iverson, who made 14-of-29 shots. "They tried to give us the game and we still couldn't have it. I was embarrassed about that one. Both ends of the court looked terrible."
Assistant coach Randy Ayers filled in for Sixers coach Larry Brown, who is suffering from neck and shoulder spasms and was not with the team.
"I felt comfortable with what we were doing. I've been here for five years," Ayers said. "It all starts with the defense. (Brown) preaches that. That's one thing I believe in as well."
Mutombo had 13 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks as the Sixers fell to 0-3 all-time at the Pepsi Center.
Iverson scored eight points in the first quarter as Philadelphia took a 26-23 lead, but Denver scored the first six points of the second quarter and never trailed after taking a 27-26 lead on a
jumper by Voshon Lenard.
Lenard scored 10 of his 12 points in the second period and the Nuggets went into halfitme with a 50-46 lead.
Philadelphia got no closer than three points in the third quarter and Denver closed the period with five straight points to build its biggest cushion, 77-67. Van Exel scored 12 points in the quarter and capped it with a 3-pointer from five feet beyond the arc.
But the 76ers scored 11 of the first 14 points in the final period, highlighted by eight points by Iverson, who tied it at 81-81 on a free throw with 7:54 to go.
The Nuggets took the lead for good, 87-85, on a dunk by LaFrentz with 2:50 left.
"We knew they were going to make a run," Van Exel said. "We just made big stops down the stretch. It was a tough one."
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