DENVER _ It was game No. 70 out of 82, and the Cavaliers were finally whole.
For the first time since Dec. 17, the Cavs' starters played together. But that didn't mean everything magically came together against the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night in Pepsi Center.
Eighth in the Western Conference playoff race entering the night, the Nuggets scored 73 points in the first half, six points shy of their season best. Even with Kyrie Irving pouring in 33 points, the Nuggets kept the offensive pressure on and pulled out a 126-113 victory.
With the Boston Celtics defeating the Indiana Pacers earlier Wednesday, the Cavs saw their lead in the Eastern Conference cut to one game.
Playing the third of a four-game, three-city trip, the Cavs fell to 18-17 on the road this season and to 5-7 in March.
The Nuggets blistered the Cavs' inconsistent defense, shooting 53 percent from the field to the Cavs' 51 percent. But the Nuggets also dominated inside, claiming a 70-30 edge in points in the paint.
Irving scored 14 points in the third quarter to try to spark the Cavs, but the Nuggets wouldn't succumb, as Kenneth Faried countered Irving's outburst with nine in the period. Seven Nuggets scored in double figures, led by Gary Harris with 21 and Will Barton with 20. Faried totaled 13 of his 17 points in the second half.
Deron Williams added 19 points for the Cavs and LeBron James contributed 18 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Coach Tyronn Lue was whistled for a rare technical foul with 3:10 left in the third quarter. Lue crossed the midcourt line arguing with officials, apparently over a call he wanted on Jameer Nelson.
Cavs' 3-point specialist Kyle Korver played for the first time since March 6 after being sidelined for seven games with a sore left foot. Korver had an MRI before the morning shootaround before being cleared. That meant J.R. Smith returned to the lineup, supplanting Iman Shumpert.
Smith and Korver took the court together for the first time as Cavs. Smith returned from surgery on his fractured right wrist against the Detroit Pistons on March 9, the first game Korver sat out after being acquired in a Jan. 7 trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
Korver finished with nine points on 3 of 9 field goals, 3 of 8 on 3s, in 20 minutes.
Cavs players have missed 123 games because of injury or illness this season. Having his full lineup excited Lue, even though Korver and Kevin Love, playing his third game after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, are under minute restrictions.
"You can start putting things in place now," Lue said before the game. "It's good to have everybody back and try to finish these last 13 games getting some consistency and also finishing the season healthy."
But could game No. 70 actually be the Cavs' starting point?
"I don't know, we'll see," Lue said. "Tonight is going to be a special night and hopefully we'll continue to move forward and it will be a positive thing for us."
The Cavs' performance showed Lue just how far the team has to go.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone, the former Cavs assistant, said he expected his team to come out inspired and he got the effort he sought.
Jamal Murray, a rookie from the University of Kentucky, hit three consecutive 3-pointers to give the Nuggets a 50-40 lead with 7:31 left in the second quarter and the Nuggets stretched the margin to 20 before the half ended.
The Cavs cut the Nuggets' lead to 84-81 with 5:39 left in the third quarter on a James alley oop off a Smith flip pass, but then Faried ignited the Nuggets' surge inside.
"A few times this year, whether it be Golden State, Boston, (the LA) Clippers, I think our guys rise to the occasion," Malone said. "The guys are understanding with 12 games to go, every game matters, every quarter matters, every possession matters.
"Tonight is a great opportunity to measure ourselves against one of the greatest teams in the NBA and the reigning world champions. I'm sure we'll be ready for that challenge."
