Warriors Battle, Beat Nuggets

The Golden State Warriors use Terry Cummings like a closer out of the bullpen. He came through with another save on Thursday night.

Cummings scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, including a decisive pull-up jumper with 1:08 to play, to key an 85-79 victory over Denver Nuggets.

"We try to manage his minutes so he's fresh at the end," Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo said of his 17-year veteran. "And we keep asking the question, can he do it one more time? We've stopped asking the question."

Trailing 60-54 after three quarters, Denver stuck around long enough to pull within two points, 78-76, after Danny Fortson scored with 1:24 to go.

Cummings then hit a 16-footer from the baseline, putting the Warriors up 80-76. Denver missed its next three shots while the Warriors made five of six free throws to put the game away.

"I just feel more confident in the fourth quarter," Cummings said. "If I'm fresh in the fourth quarter, I feel I'm going to be doing some big things. It may not be scoring, but it's going to be something else."

The Warriors won their third straight in beating Denver for the 10th time in 11 games at home. The Nuggets road record fell to 1-20 this season.

"That was a great shot on his part; it was the shot of the game," said Denver's Antonio McDyess, who led all scorers with 29 points.

John Starks topped Golden State with 16 points, while Cummings had 14 off the bench.

Fortson had 20 points and 23 rebounds

"My performance is almost worthless," Fortson said, "because we lost the game. It doesn't mean anything unless you win. I understand that more than anbody."

The Nuggets cut what had been a 20-point lead down to a single point, 51-50, following Fortson's hook shot with 3:47 left in the third quarter. But they never took the lead, letting Golden State move to a 60-54 by the end of the quarter.

Golden State scored the first 11 points of the game and led 29-16 after the first quarter, getting nine points from Starks.

The lead grew to 20 points by the second, when a Jason Caffey dunk with 5:37 left in the quarter gave the Warriors a 38-18 lead.

Denver cut the lead to eight points by halftime, as Fortson had 12 points and 14 rebounds at the break.

Notes

• Denver guard Chauncey Billups hyperextended his right elbow in the second quarter and did not return. His status is day-to-day.
• Denver is 4-0 in games decided by three or fewer points.
• The Warriors, last in the NBA with a 65.4 percent free throw shooting, barely attempt more free throws per game (24.2) than their opponents make (22.8).
• In games when he plays 25 or more minutes, Golden State's Antawn Jamison is averaging 15.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 57 percent shooting.

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