DENVER -- When a 20-point lead shrank to four in the fourth quarter, Kemba Walker stepped up with a big shot to avoid a collapse.

Walker scored 27 points, including a 3-pointer with 4:10 left to end a 7-0 Denver run, Marvin Williams had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets ended their seven-game road trip with a 112-102 win over the Nuggets on Saturday night.

Nicolas Batum had 21 points and eight assists for Charlotte (27-35), which won for fourth time in the last 18 games and finished 3-4 on its longest road trip of the season.

"That was a big road trip for us," Williams said. "We have lost some games here and there, but we're starting to play better. Denver has been one of the hottest teams in the league the last couple of weeks, so to come into their building and getting a big-time win was huge."

Nikola Jokic led Denver with 31 points and 14 rebounds and Danilo Gallinari scored 22 points for the Nuggets, who were coming off two road wins that bolstered their confidence.

But they managed to shoot just 45 percent from the field against a team that allowed Phoenix to shoot 59.7 percent on Thursday.

"They made shots and they were better in the first half," said Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who had 14 points. "We couldn't come back from that."

Charlotte looked like the fresher team throughout the game, especially at the start of the second half. After building a nine-point lead at the break, the Hornets scored the first 10 points of the third quarter and opened a 20-point lead on Walker's 3-pointer.

The Hornets were able to build a big lead without center Frank Kaminsky, who was out with a sprained left shoulder.

Six players scored in double figures to make up for his absence.

"We've had a lot of guys miss time, but our team is talented enough to get a win when we step on the court," Williams said. "We still feel like we can reach the postseason."

The Hornets are 11th in the Eastern Conference, three games behind Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot. The three teams immediately ahead of them all won Saturday, so the victory in Denver helped them keep pace.

"This is as good a game as we've played for a long time," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. "We made a bunch of shots, too. We had a good energy level."

Denver (28-34) got within eight on Darrell Arthur's dunk with a minute left in the third quarter, but Jeremy Lamb's 30-foot 3-pointer made it 90-79 heading into the fourth.

The lead was still 11 when Will Barton hit a 3-pointer and a layup around Murray's steal and layup that made it 100-96, but Walker hit his fifth 3-pointer to make it a seven-point advantage.

"The play call was for me so when you get plays called you have to make it work, you have to make a play," Walker said. "At that moment we weren't scoring so I wanted to create some space and get to my shot, and that's what I did. That's a shot I've made all year."

Williams then hit a layup and Walker sank two free throws to make it 107-96.

"It was a tough one today," said Nuggets guard Gary Harris, who went scoreless in 22 minutes and missed his only shot. "We didn't get this win, but we'll have to bounce back."

The Hornets used a 17-0 run in the first quarter to take a 12-point lead. Charlotte hit 5 of 6 shots from the field in the rally and Denver missed six straight.

NOTES: Charlotte F Johnny O'Bryant, who played under two 10-day contracts with Denver last month, had 15 points and six rebounds. He was one of six Hornets in double figures. ... Nuggets F Kenneth Faried missed his fourth straight game with lower back soreness and could miss a few more days, coach Michael Malone said. "The back is a tricky thing, but hopefully with the treatment he is getting at some point it will turn and get better," Malone said. "As of right now, he's in rough shape." ... Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said C Frank Kaminsky will miss at least 10 days with his left shoulder sprain. "Right now, it's day to day, depending how he progresses these next two days," he said. "Typically, that injury would be 10 days to two weeks."