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Sunday, Mar. 18 10:00pm ET
Marbury sits as Nets are ripped

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DENVER (AP) – Because of a sprained left ankle, Raef LaFrentz wasn't expected to play much. And based on recent history, Robert Pack wasn't expected to play more than a handful of minutes.

Despite those expectations, LaFrentz and Pack both saw extensive duty Sunday night to help the Denver Nuggets hammer the New Jersey Nets 98-84.

Raef LaFrentz had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Pack ignited a 23-0 second-quarter run with 10 assists in that period alone.

"My ankle hurt pretty much the whole game and was biting me a little when I jumped," said LaFrentz, who missed Friday's game against Boston. "But for the most part I was able to knock down some shots, and it didn't really affect me too much."

Nuggets coach Dan Issel, who decided LaFrentz would play after the Sunday morning shootaround, said the Nets' strategy was to leave LaFrentz open for much of the game.

"They were doubling Antonio (McDyess) early and daring Raef to beat them," Issel said. "After that first 3-pointer that he missed, I didn't know if he was going to make a basket the whole game. But he quickly found his rhythm. That's what you have to do when a defense opens up a player. That player has to step up."

Issel said Pack, who has complained about his recent lack of playing time, "did a terrific job of pushing the basketball. That's what he does best, and when he does it, he's awfully tough to stop."

Pack said he only wanted to a chance to get some quality minutes.

"That's all I wanted, an opportunity to help the team," he said.

The Nuggets' second-period flurry produced a 12-point lead which they padded to 21 in the third quarter, and New Jersey got no closer than 11 after that.

McDyess had 19 points and nine rebounds, and Kevin Willis came off the bench to score 13 points and grab 11 rebounds. Pack finished with 15 points and 11 assists.

The Nets, who lost their fifth straight game and ninth of their last 11, were led by Kenyon Martin with 17 points. Keith Van Horn and Sherman Douglas each had 14.

New Jersey was without point guard Stephon Marbury, who has a strained right hip.

"Their second unit came in and really upped the pace in the second quarter," Nets coach Byron Scott said. "They just jumped on us. They got the ball to Pack, and he just pushed it. Their guys just sprinted up and down the floor, and we couldn't buy a basket. It was disheartening to sit and have to watch it."

Denver shot 56 percent compared to New Jersey's 38 percent.

Van Horn had nine points and Lucious Harris eight in the first quarter as the Nets shot 60 percent in taking a 31-22 lead at the end of the period. Van Horn hit 6-of-6 free throws during New Jersey's 10-2 run that produced a 23-14 advantage.

The Nets shot only 2-of-21 from the floor in the first 10 minutes of the second quarter, however, and Denver capitalized with its 23-0 flurry to open up a 45-33 lead. Willis scored 10 points during that surge, and Ryan Bowen capped it with a reverse layup at the end of a fast break.

Van Exel's short jumper pushed Denver's lead to 17, 52-35, with 2:02 left in the half.

New Jersey shot only 5-of-26 in the quarter, and two of the baskets came on goaltending calls.

Denver, which shot 67 percent in the quarter in outscoring New Jersey 31-10, led 53-41 at intermission.

Denver also shot 67 percent in the third period, pushing its lead to 69-48 on Pack's fast-break layup.

Martin's four straight points early in the final quarter helped cut the deficit to 80-69, but Denver went back up by 21 four minutes later.

Game notes
LaFrentz has had four straight double-doubles. ... Nets center Evan Eschmeyer did not play in the second half after straining his right knee. ... Denver won despite shooting a season-low 41 percent (7-for-17) from the line. ... The Nets have lost six straight road games and are 1-12 on the road against Western Conference teams. ... Denver begins a six-game road trip in Minnesota on Friday.

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