Afflalo scored 17 points for Denver in his first matchup against Orlando since being traded, and the Nuggets beat the Magic 93-90 on Wednesday night for their third consecutive win. Evan Fournier, who was acquired by Orlando in the offseason trade sending Afflalo back to Denver for a second tour with the team, had 14 points, but misfired on a 3-point attempt at the buzzer. The Nuggets also got a key contribution from Jusuf Nurkic, who had eight points in his first career start in place of Timofey Mozgov, who was traded to Cleveland earlier in the day in exchange for two first-round draft picks. After Elfrid Payton’s jumper gave the Magic a 53-52 lead, the Nuggets ran off 10 straight points. Afflalo capped the run with a driving layup, and Denver carried a 63-58 lead into the fourth quarter. The Nuggets got a boost from Nate Robinson, who scored each of his 13 points in the final period, including a pair of free throws that gave Denver a 78-68 lead with 5:49 left. After going winless during a three-game homestand, the Magic opened a four-game road trip. The chance to build on the Nuggets’ roster through the acquisition of two first-round draft picks factored heavily in the team’s decision to trade Mozgov to the Cavs, general manager Tim Connelly said in a pregame news conference.
Source: www.seattlepi.com
