DENVER - The Denver Nuggets were struggling and scuffling when they left for the road a week ago. Five games later they look like the team coach Brian Shaw envisioned.Kenneth Faried and Arron Afflalo scored 19 points each, Wilson Chandler had 18 and Denver beat the New Orleans Pelicans 117-97 on Friday night.Danilo Gallinari had 17 points and JaVale McGee 14 for the Nuggets, who have won four of their last five after starting the season 1-6. They took two of three on the road last weekend and have won two straight at Pepsi Center to even their home record at 3-3.We still have a long way to go, Shaw said. It took longer than we would have liked but its nice to see it coming together.Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 18 points and nine rebounds. It was the first time in eight games Davis has failed to eclipse 20 points.We just have to move on, Davis said. Youre going to have games like this.Davis looked like he was going to have a big night when he scored 10 points in the first quarter. The Pelicans led by 14-2 in the first four minutes, but a timeout by Shaw and a threat to bring in the bench got the starters motivated.We started playing a little defence, got the lead back and control of the game, guard Ty Lawson said. We all knew it was being lazy. Just gave the extra effort and it got better.Denver rallied to tie it at 18-all midway through the first. The Nuggets used an 11-0 run that spanned the first and second quarters to take a 37-26 lead.They never trailed again.The advantage grew to 50-34 on two free throws by Gallinari. Jrue Holidays 3-pointer got New Orleans within nine late in the second but the Nuggets led 59-49 at halftime.Gallinaris 17 points were a season high for the forward, who is coming off two ACL surgeries on his left knee.If you dont play basketball for 19 months, trust me, its not easy to come back, he said. You think it is but it is not.The Pelicans got within eight in the third quarter but Denver began to pull away behind Chandler. He scored six straight points, including a 3-pointer with 8:46 left, to put the Nuggets ahead 98-77.We have an identity, New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. When we stray away from that, we get this result.McGee had three dunks and Nate Robinson hit another 3-pointer to put Denver up 107-83 midway through the fourth.___GOOD LUCK SMOOCHMcGee gave the crowd a laugh when he fell into the courtside seats trying to save a ball in the second quarter. Before he got up he planted a kiss on a female fan.Thats my Buddha, McGee said. I dont know her name but thats my Buddha.SCUFFED PAINTNew Orleans came into Fridays game leading the NBA in points in the paint but was outscored 52-32 in the lane.They got all the 50-50 balls, Davis said. They turned them into a layup or a dunk or a three. Something good for them.TIP INSPelicans: Center Omer Asik re-aggravated his back during warm-ups and was a late scratch from the lineup. He has now missed three straight games with the injury. ... New Orleans is averaging an NBA-low 10.9 turnovers a game. In Tuesdays win over Sacramento, the Pelicans had a season-low six turnovers. They had eight in the first 15 minutes against Denver and didnt have another for 12 minutes. They finished with 13, one off their season high.Nuggets: The Nuggets entered Friday averaging just 13.8 turnovers a game. That would stand as the best in franchise history for a full season. They had 10 against New Orleans. ... In Denvers four wins before Friday, Chandler was averaging 13.3 points and 6.5 rebounds a game. ... Lawson is fifth on the franchise list in assists. He trails Michael Adams by 57 for fourth. ... Eight players played 20 or more minutes for Denver.UP NEXTBulls: At Utah on Saturday night.Nuggets: At L.A. Lakers on Sunday night. Ultra Boost 4.0 Sale Australia . -- Craig Anderson has quite a record against his former team, the Florida Panthers. NMD CS2 Australia . -- Orleans Darkwa ran in from 1 yard with 1:45 left, and the Miami Dolphins rallied from two scores down in the final minutes to beat the Dallas Cowboys 25-20 on Saturday night. http://www.nmdaustraliasale.com/superstar-shoes-australia.html . The Durban-based Sharks withstood a furious second-half fightback to beat the Queensland Reds 35-20 for a fourth straight win which gave them a five-point lead atop the championship table. The Hamilton-based Chiefs scored two late tries to beat the Cape Town-based Stormers 36-20 for their third win, after the Stormers rallied from 24-6 down to 24-20 with six minutes remaining. NMD R1 Mens Australia .C. -- Duke sophomore Rodney Hood is entering the NBA draft. NMD R1 Mens Sale . Despite Barcelona showing the same vulnerability in defence, Messis best performance since returning from a lengthy injury layoff ensured that his side bounced back from a defeat by Valencia in the previous round. Now the Canadian moguls skier cant wait to put his feet up. "Im a Habs fan. I love hockey," Kingsbury said. "The thing Im most excited for is to have a full day off, have a chance to sit on my couch with a beer, because we dont drink much during the World Cup circuit. . . so just have a beer and watch hockey. Im very excited for that." But first, there are interviews and public appearances and the Canadian freestyle championships this weekend at Apex Resort in Penticton, B.C. Kingsbury, and moguls sisters Justine, Chloe and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe -- among Canadas biggest stories at the Sochi Olympics -- finally touched down on Canadian soil on Tuesday, and did the media rounds in Toronto on Wednesday. The foursome was at Ryerson Universitys Mattamy Athletic Centre -- formerly Maple Leaf Gardens -- to be honoured by Toronto Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly. "I want to say thanks to the City of Toronto. Even though I dont like the Leafs. You guys are very nice people," Kingsbury said, addressing the small crowd. "Its an honour just to be here in the old arena, its perfect." Justine Dufour-Lapointe won moguls gold at the Sochi Olympics, while 22-year-old sister Chloe captured silver, and the image of the Montreal sisters holding hands before stepping onto the medal podium will be one of the most enduring images of the Games. Maxime, 25, was 12th in Sochi. Last week, the sisters finished second through fourth in the seasons overall World Cup moguls standings, Justine finishing second, followed by Chloe and Maxime. Justine turned 20 on Tuesday, and had celebrated her birthday with her sisters on Monday in London. "We went on the Harry Potter Tour, I felt like I was 12 years old, I had my balloon, my hat, it was awesome," Justine said. "We had a great dinner after. My sisters always knows how to give me nice birthdays." Kiingsbury, a 21-year-old from Deux-Montagnes, Que.dddddddddddd finished second to Canadian teammate Alexandre Bilodeau at the Sochi Olympics then claimed his third straight Crystal Globe as the season World Cup winner. Kingsburys mom Julie Thibodeau was by his side for Wednesdays hectic day of appearances. "My mom, she missed me, so she drove from Montreal, picked me up at the airport here," he said. "So its cool to spend two days with her. I didnt see her much at the Olympics and just to see her here, I miss her also." The foursome left their hotel for their first interview at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, and their day wasnt scheduled to end until well after the dinner hour. "Today is our first day, 24 hours in Canada, so I think its starting (to hit us), realizing the impact that we created at the Games," Justine Dufour-Lapointe said. "I think its cool actually. Im really excited of this new title, or this new life. But at some point it wont change who we are. "I think were simple girls, who love normal things like anyone -- we have now this thing around our neck," she added, holding up her Olympic medal. Kingsbury and the sisters know their schedules will be even busier once theyre back in Montreal. Kingsbury is excited about an upcoming appearance at a Montreal Canadiens game. "There are awesome opportunities and were open to them," Maxime said about appearances and potential sponsors. "We just want to make sure were making the right decisions and following our true value like we always did. I think the fuss is all about the attention, but deep down were still the same girls and sticking with family values and what represents us." TORONTO -- Its been a whirlwind couple of months for Mikael Kingsbury that included winning an Olympic silver medal and capturing his third consecutive overall World Cup title. ' ' '