DENVER – Tony Parker scored 24 points, Tim Duncan had 17, and the San Antonio Spurs pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Denver Nuggets 102-94 on Tuesday night.
Kawhi Leonard added 14 points and Tiago Splitter 12 for the Spurs, who beat the Nuggets for the fifth time in the last eight meetings at the Pepsi Center.
Ty Lawson had 20 points to lead Denver, which still is seeking its first win of the season under first-year head coach Brian Shaw.
Kenneth Faried scored 15 points and had eight rebounds in his return to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in Denver’s first two games while dealing with a sore hamstring.
Trailing by nine at halftime, the Spurs scored nine of the first 11 points opening the fourth quarter, going in front 81-80 on Splitter’s three-point play with 9 minutes, 6 seconds remaining.
But Denver backup center Timofey Mozgov fouled out with 8:22 remaining, and starting center JaVale McGee, who was on the bench with five fouls, didn’t re-enter the game until there were about five minutes left.
The Spurs took advantage, putting together an 11-2 burst that Parker culminated with an 18-foot jumper giving San Antonio a 92-84 lead with 5:30 remaining.
A dunk by Faried pulled the Nuggets to 94-88 with 3:28 left to play. But again, Parker connected on a mid-range jumper, and Leonard, after a steal, shook free for a fast-break dunk as the Spurs opened a 10-point lead with 2:23 left. That was more than enough to hold off the Nuggets the rest of the way.
After Splitter made one of two free throws tying it 29-all, the Nuggets pulled back in front with a 12-0 run, starting with consecutive baskets by Faried, including a breakaway dunk after a steal.
The Spurs got back to 48-43 as Matt Bonner hit a 3-pointer, and Parker made a pair of free throws but the Nuggets closed the second quarter with a 3-pointer by Andre Miller and a free throw by Lawson for a 52-43 halftime lead.
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