Nuggets’ win streak stopped by Hornets
NEW ORLEANS — Even Brian Roberts couldn’t believe the performance he delivered to help end Denver’s 15-game winning streak.
Starting for only the second time, the rookie doubled his season high with 18 assists, Ryan Anderson scored 23 points and the short-handed New Orleans Hornets beat the Nuggets 110-86 on Monday.
“It’s crazy to fathom, having 18 assists,” Roberts said. “Guys play years and don’t have that many assists. Somebody pointed out I had more assists than they had as a team. For me to come out in my second start and do that is just a testament to my teammates making shots.”
Roberts never had even 10 assists in a game during four seasons at the University of Dayton, where he was more of a scorer than facilitator. Then he spent five years trying to make an NBA roster before hooking on with the Hornets last summer, reworking his game to become a pass-first player.
Eleven of those passes turned into assists in the first half against the Nuggets, who finished with four fewer assists than Roberts. He is the 20th rookie to have at least 18 assists and the first since Darren Collison for New Orleans in 2010.
Anderson shot 5-for-11 on 3-pointers, and the Hornets sank 14 of 25 3s overall. Darius Miller, starting in place of injured guard Eric Gordon, made 4 of 5 3-pointers and had 16 points.
New Orleans won its third in a row, leading by nine at the end of the first quarter, by 21 at the half and by 18 after the third.
Danilo Gallinari had 24 points for the Nuggets, who were without starting point guard Ty Lawson (right heel) for the third game in a row. Denver lost for the first time since Feb. 22 against Washington after matching its 1969-70 ABA team’s record of 15 straight wins.
“We played a bad game and they played a great game,” Nuggets point guard Andre Miller said. “We were constantly taking the ball out of the basket and getting frustrated. Our game plan was to trap the ball, and their point guard found the open man. They outplayed us and outworked us at both ends.”
