DENVER, Dec. 4 (Ticker) -- Rodney White's feet were too long and Chris Whitney's shot was too short.

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White had his foot on the line on a potential tying 3-pointer and the red-hot Whitney misfired on a potential winning shot, allowing the Sacramento Kings to escape with a 92-90 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets trailed, 91-88, as White spotted up for a 3-pointer in the left corner. After receiving a pass, he checked to make sure his feet were behind the arc, then stepped into the shot - and stepped onto the line, leaving Denver down a point.

"My foot was right on the line. Tough, you know?" White said. "I had missed a couple, I just wanted to make sure I made it and make sure I didn't step out of bounds. I felt like I was right in the right place. Shot it an inch or two (over). They said I was right barely on the line."

The Kings missed a pair of shots and the Nuggets had a chance to take the lead, but Juwan Howard had his shot blocked by former Michigan "Fab Five" teammate Chris Webber with 8.9 seconds left.

Denver fouled Doug Christie, who made the first free throw but missed the second. Out of timeouts, the Nuggets raced the ball upcourt. James Posey dribbled all the way to the baseline before finding Whitney open at the arc.

"I tell you this - I've played with Whitney (in Washington)," Webber said. "He's one of the most clutch shooters I've ever played with. I'm really serious about that. I didn't turn around after he shot the shot. I just knew it was going to go in. I made sure I got a hand in his face, literally. I was worried about it.

"He released the ball before I got there when I was on my way. I was scared to turn around. I was waiting for the team to run over (to congratulate him). I thought he was going to make it. As soon as he touched it, that's the last person I wanted to have the ball in his hands."

Whitney had spearheaded Denver's comeback, scoring 19 of his 22 points in the second half. He had made eight of his first 12 shots - including four of his first five 3-pointers - but clanged the front rim as the horn sounded.

"It was a good look," Whitney said. "I actually didn't even get to see if it went in or not. Just went by the crowd reaction. I got a hand in my face, kind of hit me in the eye. It's a shot I have to make. There's not going to be any hesitation on my part as far as taking that shot. I thought it was going down."

"I did not want him to shoot the last shot, period," Kings guard Bobby Jackson said.

Webber had 31 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Kings, who have won four in a row. They have beaten the Nuggets five straight times and host them Friday.

"Whitney got a really good look at the last shot," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "He was really shooting well in the second half. I thought it was going down, we got lucky there. It was good to get the win."

Howard scored 17 points and White added 13 for Denver, which was denied its fourth last-second win of the season. The Nuggets have lost four in a row.

"Denver is a much better team than their record shows," Webber said.

"It hurts to come up short," Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "There are no moral victories in pro sports. Little things add up during the course of the game, like dumb fouls and missed assignments. I did see some progress tonight."

Jackson scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting. In the first half, he made all five of his shots, helping Sacramento to a 56-42 halftime advantage.

But Denver opened the second half with a 13-1 burst, cutting the deficit to 57-55 on a layup by Howard with 7:29 left in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Posey gave the Nuggets a 67-66 lead with 4:12 remaining.

"We came out lackluster in the second half and were not playing like we are supposed to," Jackson said. "They got confidence and hung in the game and made us sweat."

"You are never out of it, even against some of the best teams," Whitney said. "In the second half, we played good defense and made our shots."

Two free throws and a basket by Whitney gave Denver an 81-77 lead with 8:58 to go. The Kings scored eight of the next 10 points, but a 3-pointer by Whitney gave the Nuggets an 86-85 edge with 3:39 left.

"That is not what I am here for, but if I get good shots, I will take them," said Whitney, who was sidelined with a sprained ankle earlier this season. "I am starting to get in the flow of the offense."

Vlade Divac had 16 points and 14 rebounds and Christie scored 10 points for the Kings, who shot 45 percent (35-of-78) and held a 40-35 edge on the boards.

Posey scored 12 points and rookie Nene Hilario added 10 for the Nuggets, who shot 42 percent (32-of-76) and reached 90 points for just the second time this season.