DENVER, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- J.R. Smith came off the Denver bench to score 30 points Sunday and the Nuggets survived a Phoenix comeback, outlasting the Suns 138-133.
Smith connected on six 3-pointers, and Chauncey Billups added 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Denver, which entered the final period with a 105-87 lead but had to survive a 44-point Suns onslaught to secure the win.
Billups hit four key free throws down the stretch for the Nuggets, who had led by as many as 19 points in a game in which superstar forward Carmelo Anthony left because of an illness.
Arron Afflalo finally nailed down the win for Denver with two foul shots with 13 seconds left.
The Suns, who dropped their fifth game in seven contests, got a game high 39 points from Jason Richardson.
