DENVER — What's the opposite of a moral victory?

An immoral victory?

Whatever it might be called, that's what the Nuggets experienced Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center.

The Nuggets were in total control, leading Atlanta by 17 points in the third quarter. They were up 108-98 with less than 21/2 minutes left and it seemed team victory parties were ready to be scheduled.

Not so fast.

The Hawks stormed back to cut the deficit to one. The Nuggets held on to win 110-109 only after Flip Murray's 14-foot open jumper rolled off the rim just before the final buzzer.

Guard Chauncey Billups scored a season-high 33 points for the Nuggets. But after the game, he looked as if his team had lost.

"I was angry," Billups said. "I'm happy we won, but I'm just disappointed in how we won, and that's just the sign of a really good team. A lot of teams would have been jumping up and down, going crazy with the win. But we had this game under control.

"But I thought, when they got aggressive, we got passive. That's not going to beat the good teams."

It was just enough to beat the Hawks (32-25), who were no more than an average team without top-line players Mike Bibby and Josh Smith. And it was enough for Denver (38-20) to stop its three-game losing streak, quite convenient because the Lakers are due Friday at the Pepsi Center.

"It's a win, and (this) morning, when we wake up, it will feel like a win," said Nuggets coach George Karl, whose team hasn't lost four straight since Feb. 14-24, 2007.

It didn't feel too great after the Hawks' late run left the Nuggets a bit numb. Atlanta guard Joe Johnson gave the Hawks a chance when he hit a long three- pointer with 1:28 remaining to cut the deficit to 110-105, then added two free throws to make it 110-107 with 54 seconds left.

Hawks guard Maurice Evans stole a Chris Andersen inbound pass and Al Horford's 12-footer made it 110-109 with 33.4 seconds left.

After Billups missed an 18-footer with 7 seconds left, the Hawks raced down the court and Johnson gave up the ball to Murray on the left wing.

"I wasn't going to let Joe shoot," said Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin of Johnson, who scored 26 points, although forward Marvin Williams (31) and Horford (21) also had big nights for Atlanta.

The Nuggets, playing a second straight game with center Nene out because of a knee injury, got 23 points and 10 rebounds from forward Carmelo Anthony. He scored 11 in the third quarter, when the Nuggets led by as much as 85-68.

"After losing three straight games, we'll take it," said Anthony, who made 3-of-4 three-pointers range. "Especially on our home court - get that monkey off our back."

Anthony said his "heart was beating" on Murray's shot. What if he had made it?

"I don't think I'd be talking to you guys right now," said Anthony, who sometimes doesn't speak with the media after tough losses.

If it wasn't for Anthony and Billups, the Nuggets might not have taken control in the first place. Billups bounced back after scoring a season-low three points in Monday's 114-76 drubbing at the hands of Boston.

"I wanted to be aggressive, especially after last game," Billups said. "It was a horrible, horrible night for me and the team."

Billups did that despite not exactly being a svelte point guard. Before the game, Karl, complaining about Anthony not getting calls, said skinny players get better whistles from NBA officials.

Nevertheless, Billups made 17-of-19 free throws.

"He had an assertiveness," Karl said. "He wanted to lead the team to winning. . . . His heart was showing pretty much all night long."

Other Denver players showed heart as well. Andersen had a season-high 12 rebounds and five blocks. Guard J.R. Smith scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, seemingly locking up the game for the Nuggets.

But these Hawks were pesky despite Bibby having been sent back to Atlanta earlier in the day because of the flu and Josh Smith out because of a family matter.

"Always keep fighting because you never know what is going to happen, and that is exactly what happened," Williams said. "They let us back in, and we almost got a win and we had a chance."

In other words, it was a moral victory for the Hawks.

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