Recap: Sacramento vs. Denver

Sacramento, CA (Sports Network) - Ty Lawson had 24 points and Danilo Gallinari added 23 points in the Denver Nuggets' sixth straight win, a 120-113 triumph over the Sacramento Kings.

Kenneth Faried finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds for Denver, which has won eight in a row against Sacramento.

Marcus Thornton nailed five 3-pointers en route to 32 points for the Kings, who have dropped eight of their last 10 contests.

"You have to be perfect against a team like that," Kings head coach Keith Smart said.

The game was knotted at 50-50 at the break, but Denver tallied 70 second-half points to notch the victory, which included a 36-point third quarter.

Denver began the third on an 11-2 run to seize control of the tilt. Gallinari sunk a trey and Kosta Koufos capped the burst with a jumper for a 61-52 Nuggets margin with 8:57 left in the period.

"I thought the way we started defensively early in the third quarter was the key," Denver head coach George Karl said.

The visitors took an 86-79 cushion into the fourth, but a John Salmons triple and two Patrick Patterson free throws pulled the Kings within 101-97 midway through the frame.

Denver quickly answered with two Andre Miller layups before Lawson split a pair from the line to extend the margin back to 106-97 and Sacramento never threatened again.