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Nuggets 2-0 in post-Shaw era

Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, right, hustled all over the floor in Denver’s 100-85 win at Minnesota on Wednesday. He had 18 points, 14 rebounds, two blocks and two steals, as Denver improved to 2-0 since firing head coach Brian Shaw on Tuesday.

MINNEAPOLIS – Kenneth Faried had 18 points and 14 rebounds to help the Denver Nuggets win their second consecutive game since firing coach Brian Shaw, 100-85 over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Will Barton scored 17 points off the bench, and the Nuggets outscored Minnesota 52-28 in the paint to make interim coach Melvin Hunt 2-0 since taking over for Shaw. The Nuggets have won back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 14.

Andrew Wiggins scored 20 points for the Timberwolves, who delivered their first lackluster effort since acquiring Kevin Garnett in a trade from Brooklyn two weeks ago. They shot just 39 percent and shot 3-of-18 on 3-pointers in losing their fourth game in a row.

Playing with a sense of urgency for the first time in weeks, the Nuggets beat the Wolves up and down the floor and were the aggressors throughout the night. They had 19 fast-break points to Minnesota’s zero, and Danilo Gallinari added 16 points.

Jameer Nelson had 12 points and nine assists, helping the Nuggets overcome an 0-for-9 night from starting point guard Ty Lawson.

Ricky Rubio had 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting and 10 assists for the Timberwolves (13-47). Kevin Martin scored nine points on 3-for-15 shooting after missing the game Monday with an illness, and Nikola Pekovic had six points and five rebounds in 15 minutes after sitting out Monday with a sore right ankle.

In what has been a miserable season, the Nuggets fired Shaw on Tuesday. The team responded with a decisive win over Milwaukee at home that night and racked up 60 points in the first half with some inspired effort on the glass against the improving Timberwolves.

A 24-5 run spanning the first and second quarters — keyed by bench players Darrell Arthur and Will Barton — got them rolling. The Nuggets outrebounded Minnesota 22-7 in the second quarter and nine of those rebounds came on the offensive end.

The Timberwolves looked like the team playing the second night of a back-to-back, shooting 4-for-19 in the second quarter to fall behind by 61-43 at the break.

Minnesota cut the lead to 10 early in the third quarter, but Barton and Nelson started the fourth with an 8-0 run to end all doubt.

Lawson finished with nine assists and seven rebounds but was held scoreless for the first time since Dec. 13, 2013, against Utah. The Nuggets entered the night with the worst 3-point shooting percentage in the league. But they made seven of their first 13 from deep and finished 8-for-20.

Wiggins was named Western Conference rookie of the month for February and has opened the season by winning the award in all four months. Gary Neal had 13 points off the bench. Garnett had 11 points and six rebounds.

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