Denver 105, Houston 95

Nuggets 105, Rockets 95: Ty Lawson scored 21 points and Wilson Chandler added a season-high 20 off the bench as visiting Denver handed Houston its eighth loss in the last nine games.

Danilo Gallinari chipped in 18 points and JaVale McGee scored 14 for the Nuggets, who shot 62 percent from the field in the third quarter to turn a two-point halftime lead into a 16-point cushion.

James Harden had 23 points and Carlos Delfino scored 15 in a reserve role for the Rockets. Omer Asik hauled in 13 rebounds for Houston, which has scored 100 points or less in eight of the last nine contests.

Denver fell behind 55-52 early in the third quarter before Chandler buried a 3-pointer to spark an 20-4 run that gave the Nuggets a double-digit lead. McGee provided the highlight of the big period when he threw a pass to himself off the backboard and dunked.

Chandler scored seven points in the first three minutes of the fourth to help stretch the lead to 91-69 and the Rockets never threatened down the stretch.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Harden went down with 6:31 left in the second quarter and stayed on the floor for several minutes with a hand above his left eye. He came off the floor for less than a minute before re-entering the game. … The Rockets committed 23 turnovers that led to 28 points for Denver. … Andre Iguodala added 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Nuggets.

• Houston will play their next game on the road against New Orleans. The Rockets have a W/L % of .609 after a win and .381 after a loss.
• Denver will play their next game at home against Sacramento. The Nuggets have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .579 after a loss.