Gallinari scores 23, leads Nuggets past Cavs 98-91

Said Scott: "We lost track of him. He worked his way underneath the defense a few times. They are a very good interior passing basketball team."

Lawson's driving layup with 1:48 left snapped an 89-all tie and after Cleveland couldn't convert on its next two possessions, Gallinari connected on his decisive 3-pointer.

"I'm always confident. I'm always ready to take those shots," Gallinari said. "I was wide open. Ty got the ball to me and it felt good leaving my hand. I thought it was going in as soon as I released it. It was an important shot and it was important that we got this win at home."

C.J. Miles, who missed Wednesday's win over Atlanta because of a back strain, hit a 3 for the final points of the second quarter to stretch the Cavaliers' halftime lead to 56-45. It was their biggest advantage at that point.

NOTES: Gallinari is averaging 21 points during the Nuggets' four-game winning streak. ... Walton scored eight points in his return to the Cavaliers after missing the previous two games to tend to personal matters. ... Faried has 29 career double-doubles, including 17 this season. ... Koufos' previous high was 18 points, which he accomplished twice, most recently against Golden State on April 11, 2011. ... Irving's 26 shots from the field represented a career high. He made 11 of them, including a pair of 3-pointers.