Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Chauncey Billups had 37 points and nine assists to lead Denver to a 127-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Billups Scores 37 As Nuggets Win First Game Without Coach Karl
Carmelo Anthony added 27 points, while J.R. Smith scored 25 for the Nuggets, who won their first game without head coach George Karl since he revealed he's battling throat and neck cancer. Assistant Adrian Dantley served as interim coach.
Billups went 6-of-8 from three-point range, while Smith ended 7-of-13. Denver went 16-of-27 as a team, tying a franchise record for most made three- pointers.
Stephen Curry netted 30 points and dished out 13 assists for the Warriors, who lost for the 13th time in 16 games. Monta Ellis went just 6-of-22 from the field but had 22 points in defeat. Anthony Morrow scored 20 for the Warriors.
Golden State was within 78-76 midway through the third quarter, but the Nuggets scored the next 10, capped by a pair of Smith three-point jumpers.
The margin was 98-87 moving to the fourth, and Denver’s lead never dipped under six in the last period. The Nuggets scored 13 in a row at one point, culminated by a Billups three-ball for a 124-103 cushion with 3:33 left.
Denver led 29-21 after one quarter and was in front 65-56 at the half.
Nuggets power forward Kenyon Martin suffered a left knee contusion in the first half after banging knees with Ellis...Warriors coach Don Nelson remains eight wins away from breaking Lenny Wilkens' all-time record. In his 31st season as an NBA head coach, Nelson is the second-winningest coach in NBA history (1,325), trailing only Wilkens (1,332)...Billups went 13-of-19 from the field, with the 13 setting a new career-high for made FGs...Chris Andersen had 11 rebounds for Denver...Ronny Turiaf scored 12 and Anthony Tolliver 10 for the Warriors...Denver recorded its first 4-0 season sweep of Golden State since 2000-01.
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