clarinews@clarinet.com (01/12/90)
DENVER - (UPI) - Fat Lever scored a season-high 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds Thursday night, as the Denver Nuggets crushed hapless Orlando 141 105, for the Magic's 13th consecutive road loss. Denver, which had suffered a 31-point loss at Utah Wednesday, rebounded with a vengeance to break its three-game losing streak and improve to 21-14. The losers fell to 10-25. Walter Davis added 19 points and Blair Rasmussen and rookie Todd Lichti scored 18 apiece as Denver ripped the game open early, going on separate runs of 12-0 and 8-0 in erecting a 39-18 lead after one quarter. The winners led by as many as 34 points in the second period and Orlando could make no inroads in the huge deficit thereafter. Otis Smith and rookie Nick Anderson led the Magic with 14 points each and Jerry Reynolds had 13. Denver, 13-2 at home, moved to within 3 games of Midwest Division leader San Antonio. Orlando led 6-4 early before Michael Adams hit two 3-point baskets within 35 seconds as part of a 12-0 spurt and Denver took a 16-6 lead. With Lever getting 13 points and Adams 10 in the period, Denver continued to build its margin and it was 39-18 after 12 minutes. Denver made 18 of 30 field goal attempts for a torrid 60 percent while the visitors could manage just 7 of 22 for 32 percent. Lever had seven rebounds himself, almost matching Orlando's eight. It was 71-41 at halftime and Denver led by as many as 42 points in the fourth quarter.