DENVER, Feb. 26 (Ticker) -- For 44 minutes, the lowly Denver Nuggets played just as well as the playoff-contending Portland Trail Blazers. For the last four minutes, they played like the Denver Nuggets.

NBA TV highlights from Blazers-Nuggets: 56k | 300k

Antonio Daniels' 3-pointer jump-started a late burst at the Trail Blazers rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit to hand the Nuggets a 10th straight defeat, 94-84.

Portland, which trailed by 67-54 with four minutes left in the third quarter and 71-63 entering the final period, took the lead for good, 83-82, on a 3-pointer by Daniels over rookie Vincent Yarbrough with 3:35 remaining.

Damon Stoudamire followed with a jumper, Ruben Patterson had a dunk, Zach Randolph two free throws and Patterson a tip to cap the 11-0 run and give the Blazers a 91-82 edge with 52 seconds left.

"The second unit was phenomenal," Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "Damon Stoudamire came off the bench and made some big shots for us. Antonio Daniels made three shots and put us over the hump. I tried to get the youngest guys I could find because our starters did not have any energy."

"At the end we just stand," Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "It's kind of like we defer. 'No, no, you make the play.' Don't defer. It's OK if you miss a shot. We still haven't gotten over that. We defer and we stop."

Portland scored 35 points off 22 Denver turnovers, while the Nuggets scored just seven points off 13 Blazers giveaways.

"We came to the bench at the end of the third quarter and felt that the momentum was in our favor going into the fourth," Daniels said. "Our defense was the key. We did a good job of creating turnovers, which led to some easy baskets."

Patterson scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, Daniels added 15 and Bonzi Wells 14 for Portland, which is one of just two teams to lose twice to Denver this season.

"They play hard," Patterson said of the Nuggets. "They don't have a superstar on their team, they just all play hard. They gave us problems but our second unit came off the bench and gave us a lift and won the game."

The Blazers had lost their previous six games here since a 92-78 triumph on November 12, 1999.

"I am glad to leave the Pepsi Center with a smile," Cheeks said.

Portland, which was missing starting point guard Scottie Pippen (sore left knee), posted its fourth victory in five road games and improved to 19-11 away from the Rose Garden.

Both teams shot 51 percent from the field but poorly from the arc and the line. The Blazers were just 3-of-11 from 3-point range and 21-of-32 from the line, while the Nuggets missed all three attempts from the arc and made just 18-of-30 from the stripe.

"We missed some free throws that would have given us some momentum," Bzdelik said. "Turnover here, turnover there, some missed free throws, deferment, freezing up. All those things add up against a team that's superior."

Juwan Howard scored 26 points, Donnell Harvey added 22 and rookie Junior Harrington 12, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the Nuggets, who matched their season-high losing streak set from December 9-30.

"It is really frustrating," said Harrington, who posted his first career double-double. "It seems like we have been in every game. There is no time to worry about it, though. We just have to practice and play hard."

The Nuggets have dropped 17 of their last 19 contests.

Denver forward Ryan Bowen suffered a bruised sternum after he was accidentally kneed in the second quarter and did not return. He is listed as day-to-day.

"We played a team deep in talent and experience," Bzdelik said. "It seemed like we ran out of gas because our bench was depleted and with the five fouls to Juwan and Donnell Harvey and the absence of Ryan Bowen and Marcus (forward Marcus Camby, who played eight scoreless minutes). We just kind of ran out of gas."