Nuggets 120, Lakers 109
LOS ANGELES -- Forward Kenneth Faried scored 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets extended the losing ways of the Los Angeles Lakers with a 120-109 victory Tuesday night at Staples Center.
Forward Danilo Gallinari had 21 points and eight rebounds, center J.J. Hickson finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, and rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets (2-2).
Guard Jordan Clarkson tied a career high with 30 points for the Lakers (0-4). Guard Lou Williams came off the bench to score 24 points, making 16 of 19 free throws, while forward Julius Randle chipped in 16 points.
The Lakers dropped four straight to open the season for the second year in a row and only the third time in franchise history. They had chances to prevail against the Nuggets but faded late.
Los Angeles cut the deficit to 103-100 after three free throws by Williams with 5:04 remaining in the contest. However, Gallinari converted a three-point play and a dunk by Hickson increased the margin to eight with 3:44 left as the Nuggets took control.
Denver led 60-57 at the break behind Faried's 20 points. Faried hit six of seven shots from the floor and snatched nine rebounds. Clarkson also scored 20 in the half on 8-of-10 shooting.
In the third, the Lakers opened with a 15-6 run for a 72-66 advantage after a dunk by center Roy Hibbert with 7:24 left, but the Nuggets rallied. A 3-pointer by Mudiay, who also completed a four-point play during the run, put Denver up 88-80 with 2:52 left. The Nuggets held a 93-83 lead at the end of the third.
The Nuggets played without forward Wilson Chandler (right hip strain), who has yet to appear this season, and centers Joffrey Lauvergne and Nikola Jokic, both of who are ailing with lower back strains.
Randle went down after apparently getting poked in the eye by Gallinari with 3:38 remaining in the second quarter. However, Randle returned to start the third quarter wearing goggles.
NOTES: Lakers coach Byron Scott believed a day off from practice would help refresh F Kobe Bryant, who struggled in the team's three previous games, including a 3-for-15 shooting performance in a loss Sunday night to the Dallas Mavericks. Bryant scored 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting Tuesday. ... The Nuggets return home to face the Utah Jazz on Thursday. ... Sixteen of the Lakers' next 20 games are on the road. They open a five-game stretch at the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.