Heat 124, Nuggets 119
MIAMI -- Rookies Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson combined to score 37 points as the Miami Heat defeated the Denver Nuggets 124-119 on Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Winslow, a first-round pick from Duke, had a career-high 20 points. Richardson, a second-rounder from Tennessee, had 17 points, three blocks and two steals. Heat center Hassan Whiteside added 18 points and 10 rebounds.
There were 21 lead changes and 14 ties in a high-scoring and entertaining game. Miami shot 59.5 percent from the floor while Denver shot 52.7 percent.
Miami (39-28), which won its fourth straight home game, also got 19 points from Dwyane Wade, 18 from Joe Johnson and 17 from Luol Deng.
Denver (28-39) had its four-game win streak snapped despite 24 points and 11 rebounds from Kenneth Faried and 23 points and 10 assists from rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay.
Faried, who notched his 20th double-double of the season, made all 11 of his shots from the floor.
The Nuggets received a boost when 6-11 forward Joffrey Lauvergne returned from a badly bruised cheekbone, an injury he sustained Saturday against the Washington Wizards.
Lauvergne, who played with a mask, scored 10 points.
Miami led early, shooting 66.7 percent and taking a 36-33 lead after the first quarter. Denver, though, shot 57.7 percent, and Faried kept the Nuggets in the game with 14 first-quarter points.
The second quarter was more of the same. Miami shot 60.5 percent, Denver shot 55.3 percent, and the Heat went into halftime with a 64-62 advantage. Faried had 20 points on 9-of-9 shooting in the first half.
Denver held a slim 91-90 lead through three quarters, but Miami rallied in the fourth to take a hard-fought game.
NOTES: Heat SG Dwyane Wade, who returned after missing one game due to a bruised left thigh, said it may take awhile for him to regain his "explosion". ... Miami is hoping to get SG Tyler Johnson (shoulder) back in early April. ... Denver is hoping to get SF Danilo Gallinari (ankle) back by the end of March. ... Gallinari has been replaced in the starting lineup by 6-9 F JaKarr Sampson, a former St. John's standout who was named Big East Rookie of the Year in 2013 but was not picked in the 2014 NBA Draft. Sampson's claim to fame may be that he won a state title at LeBron James' alma mater, St. Vincent -St. Mary (Akron, Ohio). ... Denver on Monday signed 6-7 F Axel Toupane to a second straight 10-day contract. Toupane, a rookie from France, can guard anyone from point guards to power forwards.