LOS ANGELES -- They boasted awful records and especially awful play of late, so there wasn't much hype for Tuesday's nationally televised matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center here.
Yet both these squads put forth a pretty entertaining game, which, in the end, is all anyone who tuned in could have asked for considering the circumstances.
The score was tied entering the final quarter. The margin was single digits entering the final minutes. The game swung both ways on big shots late in the contest.
Ultimately, the Nuggets prevailed, pulling away to win 106-96, snapping a six-game losing streak. The Nuggets had lost 13 of their previous 14 games entering Tuesday's action.
The Lakers lost their fifth straight game and for the 14th time in their past 15 games. They fell to 13-39.
Turning point: The Nuggets ended the game on an 11-2 run, and nine of those points were scored by Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson, who hit a pair of midrange jumpers, a driving layup and, as a capper, a 3-pointer to finish off the Lakers.
Player of the game: Lawson scored a game-high 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting and he dished out 16 assists. Very impressive.
Lakers player of the game: Carlos Boozer finished with a tidy double-double off the bench -- 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds.
Stat of the game: Points in the paint -- Nuggets 54, Lakers 40.