Peyton Watson scored a career-high 35 points to go along with eight rebounds, fueling the visiting Denver Nuggets to a 107-97 victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
Watson made 10 of 16 shots from the floor — including 6 of 8 from 3-point range — and added four blocks. His previous career-high point total of 32 was achieved in the Nuggets’ 125-118 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Nov. 19.
Denver’s Jamal Murray scored 24 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 16 to go along with nine rebounds in his return from an 11-game absence due to a right calf strain.
Aaron Gordon had 16 points for the Nuggets, who snapped a modest two-game losing streak and completed a season sweep of the Wizards. Denver recorded a 121-115 over Washington on Saturday.
The Nuggets won the opener of their three-game road trip to improve to 18-7 away from home this season.
Kyshawn George collected 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists and rookie Tre Johnson scored 19 points for the reeling Wizards, who have lost eight in a row.
Washington bridged the third and fourth quarters with an 11-2 run to forge at tie at 83-83 before Bruce Brown’s driving layup ignited a 9-0 surge for Denver.
Watson sandwiched his sixth 3-pointer and a mid-range jumper around Gordon’s dunk to boost the Nuggets’ advantage to 92-83 with 6:14 to play in the fourth quarter.
Denver was not seriously threatened the rest of the way.
Bub Carrington drained a 3-pointer to bring Washington within three points at 59-56 midway into the third quarter before Denver went on an 11-2 run. Watson connected from beyond the arc and on two foul shots, and Murray converted a four-point play during that sequence.
Johnson put a halt to that run with a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions.
Also on Thursday, the NBA announced the Wizards’ game at Charlotte Hornets on Saturday will tip off at noon ET due to impending weather.
–Field Level Media
