"If we would've shot a little better from the line, it would've been a different story," said Sixers head coach Tony DiLeo. "Denver just got hot when they were down and it was tough to stop them."

The Sixers played very well for three quarters, but had nothing to show for their efforts. They seemed to lose their poise, highlighted by Andre Iguodala being called for traveling with a chance to put the Sixers ahead with three seconds to go and then Andre Miller getting hit with a technical foul as Chucky Atkins stepped to the line with Denver ahead by one on the ensuing possession.

The Philly players said they were still upbeat afterward, pointing to all of the positives and playing well enough to win on most nights. It remains to be seen whether they really believe that or were just saying the right things.

NUGGETS 105, SIXERS 101: The Sixers began their Western swing by losing their third in a row. They forced Denver to commit a season-high 24 turnovers and had six players score in double-figures, led by Andre Iguodala with 24 points and five steals. They also held a 33-18 edge in bench scoring, yet dropped to 3-3 under new coach Tony DiLeo. The Sixers went 5-of-12 on three-pointers, which was a huge improvement over their combined 0-for-19 showing behind the arc in the previous two defeats. The Nuggets out-rebounded the Sixers 41-34. Guard Willie Green, who returned from missing the Boston loss with a sprained ankle, had 13 points and owned the team's only plus-minus ratio above plus-4 (+15).