Nuggets buck Barton shoe-toss, Rockets run

DENVER – Will Barton had an impressive one-handed dunk. He also scored 23 points, including two game-sealing free throws.

His most memorable moment, though, was a sneaker he tossed off the court that led to a late technical for delay.

The incident almost unlaced the Denver Nuggets as they nearly blew a big lead before holding off the Houston Rockets 114-108 on Monday night.

“That’s how the game goes sometimes: Might have to make a 3-pointer - or throw somebody’s shoe in the crowd,” Barton said, grinning.

Houston’s Trevor Ariza lost a sneaker with 4:53 remaining and his team trailing by 15. Barton picked it up and casually threw it off the court so as not to trip on it, leading to a technical for delay of game.

For some reason, that incident gave the Rockets some traction. They wound up cutting the deficit to 110-108 and had a chance to take the lead. But Jason Terry missed a 3-pointer with 15.9 seconds left and Barton wrapped up the win from the line as the Nuggets completed a three-game sweep of the Rockets in the season series.

“I’ve seen guys take that sneaker and throw it 15 rows into the stands,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Will just threw it off the field of play.”

After the game, Barton said he chatted with Ariza about the incident.

“We’re cool. No hard feelings,” Barton said. “Stuff happens during the game, man.”

In other results Miami sustained its form and toppled Atlanta, 100-88; Indiana beat Toronto, 106-90; Orlando trounced Brooklyn, 105-82; Chicago crushed Philadelphia, 115-96; Memphis held off Washington, 112-95; San Antonioi smothered Utah, 118-81; Portland thwarted New Orleans, 105-101; and the Los Angeles Clippers nipped the Detroit Pistons, 105-103.

Back in Denver, James Harden finished with 24 points for the Rockets, including five of the team’s season-high 18 3-pointers.

The Nuggets outscored the Rockets 62-36 in the paint and out-rebounded them by a 52-26 margin.