DENVER, March 26 (Ticker) -- This was supposed to be the easiest stop on a pivotal three-game road trip for the Milwaukee Bucks.

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

Instead, Juwan Howard and Marcus Camby took advantage of Milwaukee's weak front line and helped the Denver Nuggets post a 108-103 victory.

It was just the fourth win in 24 games for the Western Conference's worst team, but the Nuggets appear to have a spell over the Bucks in the high altitude, winning 10 of the last 12 meetings here.

There was no mystery to this win. The Nuggets dominated the inside, outrebounding the Bucks by a whopping 53-32 margin, and had a season-high in points. They are the league's lowest scoring team at 83.8 points per game and cracked 100 points for only the fifth time.

Bucks coach George Karl could only scratch his head as Howard, Camby and Donnell Harvey controlled the inside. Howard had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Camby grabbed 15 rebounds and Harvey contributed 13 points and nine boards off the bench.

"Overall we played solid and shared the ball well," said Camby, who also had 10 points. "Juwan carried us as usual and Rodney (White) had a good game."

Meanwhile, Bucks forward Anthony Mason, who accused his teammates of being "too passive" in Tuesday's 107-94 loss at San Antonio, had no points and five rebounds in 32 minutes.

Starting forward Tim Thomas played just seven minutes and was 0-of-4 from the field and center Joel Przybilla had two points in 27 minutes.

Losses on the first two games of this trip coupled with wins by the Washington Wizards (34-37) at Portland and Seattle over the last two nights has dropped the Bucks (34-38) behind Washington in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They conclude the trip Friday in Utah.

"Some of our guys just don't get it," said Bucks guard Sam Cassell. "When you're going down in a race like this, it takes togetherness, it takes all the things that you need to win these kind of games.

"The Nuggets aren't playing for anything. They're just playing hard. So you match that intensity and you beat these guys. This team outrebounded us. They did what they wanted. They missed shots and went and got the rebound. You've got to play with passion and that's something we're lacking right now from individuals."

The Bucks shot just 32 percent (14-of-44) and were outrebounded, 32-16, in the first half, when the Nuggets built a 50-39 advantage.

Denver held its biggest lead at 77-57 on a pair of free throws by Harvey with 2:39 left in the third quarter.

The Bucks rallied for 41 points in the fourth quarter and pulled within 95-93 on a three-point play by Cassell with 3:04 left.

However, the Nuggets scored the next six points on an inside basket by Harvey, a dunk by rookie Nene Hilario Michael Redd scored 22 of his 27 points -- including five three-pointers -- in the fourth quarter to spark Milwaukee's comeback.

"No disrespect to Denver, but this is a game we should have won," Redd said. "It is frustrating because I know that we can win games. They were more aggressive. It was just a lack of intensity on our part.

"If we played the whole game like the fourth quarter, we probably would have won. We have to play the rest of the season like we did in the fourth quarter. But we can't hope that Washington and the (10th-place) Knicks lose every night. We have to win some games."

Guards Cassell, Redd and Gary Payton and 6-5 forward Desmond Mason accounted for all but five of Milwaukee's points. Payton had 28 points and 11 assists, Cassell finished with 23 points and Mason added 20.

"We played with urgency in the fourth quarter, but the hole was too big to come back," said Karl

After the game in Utah, the Bucks have six home games and just three road contests left.

"We have to win some home games, but we're OK," Karl said. "We need to steal a game or two on the road and win the rest of our home games. We'll be fine."

Along with strong play inside, the Nuggets also received effective play from guards White and Shammond Williams. White scored 21 points and Williams added 16.

"From my perspective, I'm getting to play," said White, a 2001 first-round pick of Detroit who had a triple-double earlier this week. "I knew that once I got my chance to play I could do it. I am kind of in my zone now. I am working hard and making the best of my opportunity."

The Nuggets took an 81-62 lead into the fourth quarter when Redd caught fire, scoring 16 points to spark an 18-6 run. His fifth three-pointer of the quarter pulled the Bucks within 93-90 with 3:33 left.

"We were defending well until the fourth quarter and then we forgot to guard Redd, and he hit some open shots," Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik said.

After Camby hit a pair of free throws, Cassell converted a three-point play to move Milwaukee within 95-93 with 3:04 left.

But the Nuggets went back to the interior for baskets by Harvey and Hilario and a pair of free throws by Howard.

A pair of free throws by Payton brought the Bucks within 105-101 with 18 seconds remaining, but White hit two free throws two seconds later and Cassell missed a three-point attempt with eight seconds left.

"I told our team that we should embrace the opportunity to play teams that are desperate for playoff wins, because next year we want to be in that position," Bzdelik said.

Milwaukee missed its first eight shots of the second quarter and the Nuggets went on an 11-0 run, including a rebound dunk by Camby, giving them a 35-23 lead with 6:54 left.