Cavaliers 93, Nuggets 87
DENVER -- Forward LeBron James scored 34 points, guard Iman Shumpert had a season-high 16 and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 93-87 on Tuesday.
Guard Will Barton led the Nuggets with 29 points and center Joffrey Lauvergne scored 14. Denver has lost six of its last seven games.
The Cavaliers (21-9) were playing their fourth game in five nights on this Western Conference road trip. They lost a tough one to Golden State in an NBA Finals rematch Christmas before winning the last two to finish .500.
Cleveland ended the trip by imposing its style on the Nuggets. The Cavaliers, who rank 28th in pace of play and second in points allowed per game, used their deliberate offense and strong defense to stop Denver's running game.
The Nuggets (12-20) finished with only 14 fast-break points and shot 41.6 percent from the field.
James attempted 10 shots in Monday's victory over Phoenix but put up 13 the first half when Cleveland took control behind his 15 points. The Cavaliers led by as many as 15 and went into intermission ahead 53-42.
The lead stayed around 10 in the third quarter before Cleveland opened it up early in the fourth.
James checked back into the game with 10 minutes left and hit a jumper, and Shumpert's dunk gave the Cavaliers a 77-63 lead.
Guard Randy Foye had a dunk and hit a jumper around two free throws from Barton to get the Nuggets within nine, but James kept Cleveland comfortably ahead. He sank three free throws and hit a jumper, and drained another pair of foul shots to put Cleveland ahead 86-73.
Denver began fouling center Tristan Thompson to put the 56-percent free-throw shooter at the line. He went 1-for-4 before coach Dave Blatt pulled him from the game.
James sealed the win by stripping Barton twice and scoring on fast-break dunks in the final 1:56.
NOTES: Cavaliers G Kyrie Irving did not play in a planned absence. The team has been resting him on second nights of back-to-back games since he returned from a fractured kneecap. Irving said Monday in Phoenix that this will be the last time he will miss a back-to-back. ... Nuggets coach Michael Malone said F Danilo Gallinari could return Saturday from a left ankle sprain. Gallinari, the team's leading scorer, has missed five games. ... Cleveland F Kevin Love played despite taking a hit to the hand during Monday's win over the Suns. ... Nuggets C Jusuf Nurkic could make his season debut on Saturday. Nurkic has been out all season after having surgery to repair a tear in his left patella tendon. "It's almost seven months but I generally feel good," Nurkic said. "I can't wait."