SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jamal Murray took the blame for another slow start by Denver's offense and quickly pointed out how well the Nuggets have been playing defensively.
"Our defense has been our anchor," Murray said. "It's been what's won us (games). Guys have to know we're a defensive team first. We can all score. We can all shoot. But defense is clearly how to win games."
Murray scored 14 points of his 18 points in the second half, including four in the final 31 seconds, Gary Harris added a pair of late free throws and the Nuggets held on after nearly blowing a big lead in the fourth quarter, beating the winless Sacramento Kings 101-94 on Monday night.
The Nuggets (3-0) shook off a sluggish first half when they shot 17 of 52, took control in the third quarter with a stifling defense that repeatedly forced Sacramento into contested shots from the perimeter, then held off a late rally by the Kings to remain unbeaten.
"I challenged our guys to be a lot more physical and make them feel us," Denver coach Mike Malone said. "We didn't change our game plan. We just changed how hard and how physical we were playing. This was another night our offense struggled, but some guys stepped up and made big plays down the stretch."
Harris scored 17 points as Denver won its fifth straight against Sacramento. Nikola Jokic had nine points on 4-for-15 shooting with 13 rebounds and Will Barton added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Denver led comfortably midway through the fourth quarter before Holmes scored five points as part of a 10-0 run that cut the Nuggets' lead to 90-88.
Holmes later scored on a soaring one-handed dunk that made it 95-92, before Murray's deep shot just inside the 3-point line. After Barnes scored on a putback, Harris and Murray each hit two free throws.
"I came out more aggressive," said Murray, who missed five of his first six shots. "That's something I have to change with myself from the jump. I can't just kind of be a part of the offense. I have to be aggressive and create for guys. That's what I did in the second half."
Richaun Holmes had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings (0-4). De'Aaron Fox added 20 points and nine assists, and Harrison Barnes and Nemanja Bjelica each scored 12.
First-year Sacramento coach Luke Walton felt his team made progress despite the loss, particularly defensively.
"That's what we have to be," Walton said. "That's why we stress, and there was a point made, becoming a team that comes on defense so that when we have off shooting nights we still have a chance to win. We really played a competitive game and we stuck together."
ACROSS THE NBA MONDAY
The defending NBA champs are off to a 3-1 start. Kyle Lowry scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to help the Raptors stave off an Orlando rally in a 104-95 win over the Magic. Pascal Siakam finished with 24 points for Toronto, which blew a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead before rallying. Jonathan Isaac scored a career-high 24 points, Evan Fournier had 18 and Markelle Fultz 13 in the Magic’s second consecutive loss.
The 76ers pulled out a 105-103 win over the Hawks behind Joel Embiid, who capped his 36-point performance by hitting the go-ahead free throws with 5.3 seconds left. Tobias Harris had eight of his 13 points in the final quarter as the 76ers outscored the Hawks 15-5 over the final five minutes. Philadelphia is off to a 3-0 start after handing Atlanta its first loss in three games.
Kawhi Leonard’s 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists highlighted the Clippers, 111-96 victory against the Hornets. Lou Williams scored 23 points one day after his 33rd birthday, and Montrezl Harrell scored eight of his 19 points in the final period. Terry Rozier had 17 points to lead six Hornets scoring in double figures.
The Warriors have their first win in three games this season after Stephen Curry delivered 26 points and 11 assists in a 134-123 decision over the Pelicans. Draymond Green had 16 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists for Golden State, which dropped its first two games by 19 or more points. D'Angelo Russell added 24 points and Damion Lee finished with 23 in helping the Warriors lead from wire to wire.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in just 29 minutes as the Bucks dumped the Cavaliers, 129-112. Seven Milwaukee players scored in double figures, led by Khris Middleton’s 21 points and George Hill’s 19. Middleton had 10 points during a 28-12 run that pushed the Bucks' lead to 124-103 with less than four minutes remaining.
James Harden shot 21-for-22 from the line while pouring in 40 points to send the Rockets past the Thunder, 116-112. Russell Westbrook fell one assist shy of a triple-double against the team that traded him over the summer, contributing 21 points and 12 rebounds. Chris Paul had 15 points, four assists and five rebounds in his first game in Houston since being traded for Westbrook.
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and the Spurs completed a season-opening, 3-0 homestand by topping the Trail Blazers, 113-110. Derrick White scored 21 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 for San Antonio, which led comfortably until Portland went on an 18-2 run midway through the fourth quarter. Blazers guard Damian Lillard scored 18 of his team-high 28 points in the final period.
Donovan Mitchell scored 25 points, including the game-winning free throw with 0.4 seconds left to send the Jazz past the Suns, 96-95. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Jazz with 29 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 4 of 8 from 3-point range. Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 18 rebounds for Utah.
Derrick Rose made a driving layup with 28.3 seconds left to give the Pistons the lead in a 96-94 triumph over the winless Pacers. Detroit center Andre Drummond had 18 points and 18 rebounds while teammate Christian Wood had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Domantas Sabonis had 21 points and 14 rebounds for Indiana, which trailed by nine in the final period and surged ahead by four before falling.
Bobby Portis scored a season-high 28 points against his former team, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:47 remaining to carry the Knicks to their first win of the season, 105-98 over the Bulls. The reserve shot 10 of 14 overall and 4 of 4 from 3-point range while grabbing 11 rebounds. Rookie RJ Barrett added 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks, who had dropped their first three games and trailed by 18 after the first quarter of this one.