Lenard scored seven consecutive points down the stretch as the Nuggets rallied for an 89-86 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies that snapped an ugly five-game losing streak.
"This win was just what the doctor ordered," interim coach Mike Evans said. "There are no easy wins in the NBA. ... It feels good to get the win, but feels even better to see the smiles in the locker room."
"It's a good opportunity for Mike Evans. He's been an assistant for a while here," Lenard said.
 Memphis' Pau Gasol gets a paw on the ball. William R. Sallaz NBAE/Getty Images |
Issel apologized Wednesday but was suspended four games without pay by the team. Evans was installed as interim coach and made one change in the starting lineup, inserting Lenard at shooting guard.
Lenard responded with a season-high 25 points and came through in the clutch. His 3-pointer -- which came with both feet on the arc -- pulled Denver into an 84-84 tie with 1:24 remaining.
"It was strange not to have Dan on the sidelines," Lenard said. "He won't be back for three games, so hopefully we can keep it going for when he gets back."
"He's capable of playing like that when he gets the opportunity," Nuggets guard Nick Van Exel said. "He's pretty consistent when he gets his minutes. He made some big plays in the fourth quarter."
Lenard's layup off a beautiful bounce pass from Van Exel gave the Nuggets the lead for good with 50 seconds to go. The Grizzlies committed a turnover and Lenard dribbled past 7-foot rookie Pau Gasol for a layup and an 88-84 advantage with 12 seconds remaining.
Grant Long made two foul shots and Van Exel split a pair, giving the Grizzlies one last chance. But rookie Will Solomon left a potential tying 3-pointer short, the Nuggets rebounded and ran out the clock.
"The butterflies never went away," Evans said. "They got worse as the game went along."
Van Exel had 20 points and 14 assists for the Nuggets, who won for the first time when trailing after three quarters. They had been 0-12.
"It took us a while to get going," Van Exel said. "We had a shaky start, and we finally woke up in the third quarter."
Lenard believes some good could come out of Issel's suspension. Last year, the Nuggets boycotted a practice in protest of Issel's treatment of forward Raef LaFrentz and responded with their best stretch of the season.
"Maybe this controversy can get us fired up," he said. "We had something similar here last year and it brought us together and got a winning streak out of it."
Denver, which has a large Latin community, appears ready to move on. One Latino fan held a placard which read, "Dan, We Forgive You."
"They are a talented team and I don't think that the five-game losing streak is indicative of this team's ability," Long said. "They are a talented team. They are going to win games."
Shane Battier scored 19 points and fellow rookie Gasol had 15 and 13 rebounds for the Grizzlies, which fell to 1-9 on the road. They have lost seven in a row to the Nuggets and eight straight in Denver.
"We had a lot of chances," Memphis coach Sidney Lowe said. "They picked up the intensity on defense and we did not respond."
The presence of Evans initially did nothing for the Nuggets, who started slowly and trailed, 47-37, at halftime.
"I was hoping we would get off to a good start, but saw how sluggish we started to get," Evans said. "We tried to find a good combination out there."
A layup by Rodney Buford, who scored 11 points, gave Memphis its largest lead at 55-41 with 8:40 left in the third quarter before Denver rallied behind Van Exel.
The volatile guard accounted for a 12-0 run with eight points and two assists. He had 15 points and five assists in the third quarter, which ended with the Grizzlies clinging to a 67-66 edge.
"At halftime, the guys were telling me to take my shot more and that got my confidence going," said Van Exel, who recently made a public demand to be traded.
A free throw by Ryan Bowen gave the Nuggets an 81-75 lead with 5:04 to play before Long made four free throws in a 9-0 spurt that gave the Grizzlies an 84-81 edge with 1:48 left.
LaFrentz scored 13 points and Scott Williams grabbed 13 rebounds for the Nuggets, who shot 41 percent (37-of-91) from the field and had a season-high 58 boards.
Tony Massenburg scored 12 points for the Grizzlies, who shot 36 percent (29-of-80) and made 25-of-27 free throws.
Memphis was without guard Jason Williams (migraine) and forward Stromile Swift (hyperextended left knee).
Will Solomon left a potential tying 3-pointer short, the Nuggets rebounded and ran out the clock.