DENVER -- Thirty-five feet.
Emmanuel Mudiay drained a long-distance three-point shot at the buzzer to give the Nuggets a 104-103 win over the Sixers Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center.
The Sixers had a two-point lead with 3.1 seconds to go and looked as if they were going to snap their six-game losing streak. Instead, the Nuggets rookie pulled off a heroic bucket as the clock expired.
The Sixers played without Nerlens Noel, who was a late-game scratch with a right knee contusion.
Turning point
Robert Covington made one of two free throws to put the Sixers up 103-101 with 3.1 seconds remaining. Mudiay, who had missed a go-ahead shot seconds earlier, connected for the game-winner.
Inside the box score
Mudiay had a game-high 27 points (10 of 23 shooting from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range) to go along with 11 rebounds and four assists. Gary Harris and Nikola Jokic each added 18 points for the Nuggets while Darrell Arthur also reached double figures with 11 points.
NBA
T.J. McConnell led the Sixers with 17 points off the bench on 7 of 10 shooting. He also registered five assists, three rebounds and two steals. Covington and Carl Landry both totaled 16 points. Hollis Thompson and Isaiah Canaan each started and scored 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Covington, Holmes return
Covington (concussion protocol) and Richaun Holmes (Achilles strained) returned after missing six games.
Three vs. free
The Sixers set a season-high with 37 three-point attempts. They shot 15 for 37 (40.5 percent) compared to 6 for 17 (35.3 percent) by the Nuggets. The Nuggets shot 32 for 40 from the free throw line, while the Sixers shot 14 for 15.
Sampson faces former team
Former Sixer JaKarr Sampson scored nine points (3 for 5 from the field) with two rebounds in 16 minutes as a starter. This was his first game against the Sixers since being waived at the trade deadline. Sampson had been a game-time decision because of a shoulder strain.
“He’s just got such a bounce to his game, he’s got a bounce to his personality,” Brett Brown said. “You feel like you’re going to see somebody you helped raise.”
Two out of three
Official Rodney Mott could not get to the arena because of the inclement weather. The game was played with two officials, Sean Corbin and Derek Richardson.
Up next
The Sixers will play the Trail Blazers in Portland on Saturday in the first game of a back-to-back set, with a matchup against the Warriors in Oakland on Sunday.