Nuggets 122, Kings 93
Danilo Gallinari scored 14 of his 23 points in the second quarter when the Denver Nuggets took control with a 13-0 run en route to a 122-93 victory over the host Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
It was a fitting performance from Gallinari, who received a $42 million contract extension earlier in the day.
Andre Miller had 15 points and 10 assists for his second straight double-double as the Nuggets (13-5) completed their first sweep of a five-game road trip in team history and remained two games behind Oklahoma City for the best record in the Western Conference.
DeMarcus Cousins recorded 17 points and 15 rebounds and rookie Jimmer Fredette scored nine of his 19 points in the first quarter for the Kings (6-13), who lost their third straight.
Gallinari, whose extension is for four years, scored the final nine points during the run as Denver exploded to a 54-37 advantage.
The Nuggets’ Ty Lawson scored 11 points before leaving the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury.
Denver scored a team-record 92 points in the paint and its 7-3 start on the road is the best in team history.
The Nuggets outscored the Kings 34-17 in the second quarter to take a 66-43 halftime lead, and opened the second half with eight straight points to eventually lead by as many as 35.
Julyan Stone, a rookie from Texas-El Paso, scored his first six career points, and Jordan Hamilton, a rookie from Texas, recorded two points in his first career game.
Marcus Thornton, Sacramento’s second leading scorer, did not play because of a thigh injury and is expected to miss 1-to-2 weeks.