D.J. Augustin scored 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and the Denver Nuggets snapped a three-game road losing streak with a 101-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
Darrell Arthur and Gary Harris added 13 points apiece for the Nuggets, while Nikola Jokic had 11 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter.
Nicolas Batum had 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Hornets, who lost at home for only the third time in the last 15 games. Jeremy Lin had 16 points and Kemba Walker added 15 for Charlotte.
It was a costly loss for the Hornets, who had beaten Miami on Thursday night to pull into a tie with the Heat for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
The Hornets are hoping for home-court advantage in a playoff series. They are 26-11 at home on the season.