Nuggets stretch win streak to 13 by silencing Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY – Ty Lawson scored 25 points and Andre Miller added 20 off the bench to spark the Denver Nuggets to their 13th NBA victory in a row, a 114-104 triumph Tuesday at Oklahoma City.

Kenneth Faried added 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, who improved to 47-22 and closed their gap on the Northwest division-leading Thunder to 50-18.

The Nuggets’ win streak set a record for the team’s NBA history, although the club has its roots in the now-defunct rival American Basketball Association where they once won 15 games in a row.

NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant netted 34 points for Oklahoma City and Russell Westbrook added 25 in a losing cause. It was only the fifth home loss of the season for the Thunder.

While the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat have run off the second-longest win streak in NBA history at 23 games, the Nuggets have enjoyed their success in relative anonymity.

“Miami can have all that attention. We don’t need it right now,” Faried said. “We want to keep the streak going. We’re not content at all. We want to play each and every game like it’s our last.

“While they want to keep their streak going loudly, we want to keep our streak going quietly.”

The Nuggets opened the second half with an 11-2 run for a 76-68 lead and held off the Thunder down the stretch to secure the victory.

Denver players listened to an inspiration speech by coach George Karl before the game to win for the second time in as many days.

“Before the game, he said, ‘This team says they are the best in the West. Everybody that gets in, play their hardest and contribute,'” Faried said.