Ex-Knick Gallinari Rallies Nuggets Over Nets

DENVER (AP) -- Danilo Gallinari scored 22 points, Arron Afflalo and Corey Brewer each had 19 points and the Denver Nuggets beat the New Jersey Nets 123-115 on Wednesday night.

Andre Miller had 12 points and 12 assists and Rudy Fernandez scored 15 for the Nuggets.

Jordan Farmar had a game-high 26 points, Anthony Morrow scored 23 and Deron Williams had 16 points and 13 assists for New Jersey. The Nets set a season high for 3-pointers with 20. Farmar was 6 for 8 from behind the arc and Morrow hit 5 of 9.

New Jersey tied a season high with 35 3-point attempts.

The Nuggets scored the first five points of the second half to lead by 21 but New Jersey rallied to cut the deficit. Mehmet Okur scored eight points in a 13-3 run by the Nets that made it 76-65 with 7:33 left in the third quarter.

Denver responded by scoring 24 points before the end of the period. Gallinari capped the offensive surge with a 3 to give the Nuggets a 100-80 lead heading into the fourth.

New Jersey scored the first 12 points of the last period to put a scare into the Nuggets. Blocked shots by Brewer and Chris Andersen keyed a 12-2 run by Denver that sealed the win.

Brewer took over in the second quarter as the Nuggets grabbed control. He came into the game with Denver leading by six early in the second quarter and he heated up in a hurry. He scored nine points to help increase the lead to 54-40 midway through the period. After the Nets cut it to 11, Brewer hit consecutive 3-pointers to stake Denver to a 68-52 lead at halftime.

Brewer and Gallinari finished with 17 points each at the break

The Nuggets played without point guard Ty Lawson because of a strained right foot. Lawson was injured late in the first half of Denver's loss to New Orleans on Monday night. He played the second half but sat out practice Tuesday.

Lawson's absence gave rookie Julyan Stone an opportunity to make his NBA debut. Stone came off the bench to spell veteran Andre Miller and had three assists in six solid minutes.

NOTES: Williams picked up two technical fouls and was ejected. ... New Jersey's Damion James (sore right foot) and guard DeShawn Stevenson (right knee). Jones has missed the last three games and Stevenson one. ... Denver forward Kosta Koufas didn't play after starting three games in Nene's absence.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)