The 2012-13 Basketball Season Is Here

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Nuggets end Clippers' team-record win streak at 17



DENVER (AP) During an undefeated five-week run by the Los Angeles Clippers, the Denver Nuggets were just another team they beat along the way. The second time around, the Nuggets were the team that ground the Clippers' streak to a halt.

Danilo Gallinari led six Nuggets players in double figures with 17 points and Denver stopped the Clippers' franchise- record winning streak at 17 games with a 92-78 victory Tuesday night.

The Clippers' streak was the longest in the NBA since the Boston Celtics won 19 in a row from Nov. 15-Dec. 23, 2008.

"We were all a step slower today,'' said Blake Griffin, who had 12 points for the Clippers. "We've got to be better than that. We're not going to sit and cry on the plane and get beat down. We're not going to cause ourselves to lose our confidence, despite what people want us to do. That's the best thing about the NBA - you've got another game.''

Griffin went 4 of 11 from the field - the first time he's shot below 50 percent in 18 games.

Andre Iguodala said the victory against the NBA's hottest team could help Denver build "our confidence, our swagger.

"The Clippers have been playing with that the last 18 games. That builds into them winning. They have the mentality every night they're going to go out there and win. We've got to build the same thing and try to string along the same type of win streak.''

The loss was the first for the Clippers since a 105-98 setback against New Orleans on Nov. 26. It also marked the end of a franchise-record seven-game winning streak on the road.

Kenneth Faried added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who won their eighth in a row at home.

The Clippers, whose point total was two above their season-low, were hurt by poor shooting from 3-point range (5 of 29, 17.2 percent) and the free throw line (13 of 29, 44.8 percent).

Eric Bledsoe also had 12 points, DeAndre Jordan had 11 and Chris Paul 10 for the Clippers.

"Maybe two or three of the 3's that we missed, they had a hand in our face,'' Paul said. "But we got all the shots that we wanted. There are going to be nights like that. It just hasn't happened for a while.''

Andre Miller, starting in place of point guard Ty Lawson, had 12 points and 12 assists for the Nuggets. Lawson, the team said, has been bothered by tightness in his left Achilles' tendon for the past week, forcing him to miss a game for the first time this season.

"We don't win this game without Andre,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. "He just got us easy baskets, got a lot of guys involved, gave our team a lot of confidence.''

Miller said, "It was a good win against a good team. We beat them every quarter. It was a weird game, kind of slow. Both teams want to get up and down the court. It was one of those nights were we fell into some easy baskets. We controlled our turnovers and had the energy on our side.''

Iguodala also helped out at point guard and chipped in with 12 points and eight assists for Denver, which lost to the Clippers in Los Angeles, 112-100 on Christmas Day.

After Bledsoe hit a 3-pointer to pull the Clippers to 65-58 with 1:54 left in the third quarter, the Nuggets scored eight of the next nine points, including JaVale McGee's first career 3-pointer at the buzzer to take a 75-59 lead into the fourth quarter. McGee, who had a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Andre Miller on Denver's previous possession, hadn't even tried a 3-pointer in a game all season until then. He blew on his shooting hand after making the trey as if he had to cool it off.

The Clippers cut it to 87-73 with 4:02 remaining when Griffin made one of two free throws but the Nuggets, as they did throughout the game, had an answer with Iguodala getting loose in the paint for a slam. The Clippers didn't threaten the rest of the way.

The Nuggets took a 12-point lead with 3:01 left in the second quarter when Faried buried a short hook shot before settling for a 48-43 halftime advantage.

Los Angeles closed the period with a 9-2 run, starting with Paul converting a three-point play followed by a dunk from DeAndre Jordon off a lob pass from Paul.

NOTES: Clippers PG Chauncey Billups, a former Nugget and native of Denver, missed the game as he continues to recover from a foot injury that has kept him on the sideline this season. ... The Clippers began a stretch of four games in five days that resumes Wednesday in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors. ... The Nuggets improved to 5-1 on New Year's Day. ... Miller had a double double for the 204th time in his career and the first time this season. ... The Clippers' 17-game streak was the second-longest ever snapped by the Nuggets. The Chicago Bulls were on an 18-game run when the Nuggets beat them on Feb. 4, 1996.

 

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Holiday leads Sixers over Lakers 103-99



LOS ANGELES (AP) The Philadelphia 76ers demonstrated how much of an advantage youth and fresher legs can be sometimes against a team of veteran All-Stars.

Jrue Holiday had 26 points and 10 assists, Evan Turner added 22 points and 13 rebounds, and the 76ers rang in the new year with a 103-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

"I think they had all their star power out there, but we came out and played, and really played together,'' Holiday said. "It feels awesome. This is actually my first win against the Lakers, so I can't start off the New Year a better way.''

Kobe Bryant, who shifted from shooting guard to small forward five games ago in coach Mike D'Antoni's redesigned rotation, led Los Angeles with 36 points.

The Lakers (15-16) have matched their worst start after 31 games since the 2002-03 season, when they began defense of their third straight NBA title with a 12-19 record. They are 10th in the Western Conference, 1 1-2 games out of a playoff spot - a revolting development for a team that missed the postseason only twice times in the previous 36 years and not since 2005.

"It's frustrating,'' said point guard Steve Nash, who had 12 points and 10 assists. "We're in a tough position and we really have a lot of ground to make up. We're not finding the answers right now. So many situations just seem new, and I think we're struggling to find that little bit of connectivity that makes a team a team.''

The Lakers, who tied a franchise record with 10 3-pointers in the first half of their 111-98 win at Philadelphia on Dec. 16, were 1 for 11 from 3-point range before intermission in the rematch and finished 3 for 22 from behind the arc.

Their next game is Friday night against the Clippers, whose franchise-record 17-game winning streak ended in Denver a couple hours earlier. But when D'Antoni was asked a couple hours before Tuesday's contest if there was a danger of his team looking past the 76ers to the next one, he said the Lakers weren't good enough to look past anyone.

"We didn't look past them. I mean, you just saw an old team,'' Bryant said. "I don't know how else to put it. We're just slow, and they're a team that's younger with fresher legs and played with more energy. We were just stuck in the m&d. And as individuals, we all have to figure out how to get ourselves ready each and every game to have a high-level game. That's a big thing when you're starting to age. It's tough, and it takes a lot of commitment.''

Pau Gasol had 11 points and nine rebounds, but shot only 2 for 12 while playing on a sore right foot. Dwight Howard missed his first five shots and finished 1 for 7 with seven points and 14 boards. The six-time All-Star's only field goal came with 6:15 left in the third quarter, a put-back dunk that reduced Philadelphia's lead to 67-63.

Down by nine with just under 3 minutes to play, the Lakers closed to 99-97 on Bryant's 3-pointer with 1:28 left. But Spencer Hawes responded with a 21-footer 16 seconds later and Holiday helped close it out on a driving dunk with 22.4 seconds on the clock.

"I was hyped,'' Holiday said. "I thought right there it was pretty much over. But with the Lakers and all the firepower they have, anything can happen.''

The 76ers outscored the Lakers 11-3 over the final 2:20 of the half to pull ahead 54-50, and extended the margin to eight points after three quarters. Los Angeles trailed 89-79 after Holiday's jumper with 6:54 left in the game, then closed to 94-90 on Metta World Peace's jumper a few minutes later. But the Sixers responded by scoring the next five points, including a layup by Jason Richardson that made it 99-90 with 2:57 left.

"We just didn't play together, especially on the defensive end, and we had a lot of mistakes down the stretch,'' Howard said. Nobody rotated fast enough, and that's where we lost the game. The games we've won - blowing teams out - we've played a certain way. The games we've lost, we've played a different way. So we need to find a balance.''

NOTES: Nash needs 28 assists to join John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson and Magic Johnson as the only players in NBA history with at least 10,000. ... The 76ers are 14-0 when leading after three quarters, compared to 1-16 when trailing going into the fourth. ... After wrapping up this eight-game road trip against Phoenix, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, the 76ers will play 13 of their next 15 at home. ... Lakers reserve F Antawn Jamison was benched for the sixth straight game. The 15-year veteran, a two-time All-Star and former sixth man of the year (2003-04), hasn't played since Dec. 16, when he went scoreless in 13 minutes against the 76ers.

 

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Hayward's 17 lift Jazz over T-Wolves 106-84



SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Utah Jazz quickly put 2012 in the rearview mirror.

After closing out the year with tough back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Jazz opened 2013 with an overpowering 106-84 victory over an uninspired Minnesota Timberwolves team on Wednesday.

The Jazz did it despite knowing starting point guard Mo Williams will be out at least another six weeks after opting for surgery on his injured right thumb.

"Our confidence never wavered,'' said Earl Watson, who stepped up with nine assists in sharing point guard duties Wednesday with Jamaal Tinsley.

"Everybody is a little heartbroken about Mo,'' added power forward Derrick Favors. "But we know he's going to be all right. We just came out there and played like he was with us.''

It helped that Tinsley shot 6 of 8 and finished with 12 points.

It also helped that Paul Millsap, who had seen his playing time diminish with the emergence of Favors, started 7 of 7 and finished with 14 points as his coach experimented with rotations.

And it helped that Andrei Kirilenko, facing his former team for the first time since signing with Minnesota, couldn't keep his own hot streak going.

Kirilenko received a warm round of applause from fans during introductions and started 3 of 3 but finished with just 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting.

"It was nothing personal,'' Watson said of giving Kirilenko a rude homecoming. "We needed a win and Andrei happened to be on the other team.''

Gordon Hayward scored 17 points off the bench to lead the Jazz and Enes Kanter added 15, with eighth rebounds as Utah snapped a three-game losing streak.

The only bad news, besides the lengthy loss of Williams, is that Kanter sprained his right ankle in the closing moments of the blowout win and will be a game-time decision Friday at Phoenix.

Otherwise, there wasn't much Minnesota players could say after shooting a season-low 35.5 percent from the field, including a season-low 2 of 17 from 3-point range.

"We need to take a rest right now and kind of get back on track,'' said Kirilenko, who spent 10 seasons in a Jazz uniform before leaving as a free agent two years ago.

"It's just one of those games where . you can't make a shot five or six possessions in a row, you couldn't put it in on a layup, you couldn't get to the line. It's all together kind of like an avalanche.''

Minnesota made only 12 of 40 shots in the second half. Overall, they were outscored 56-36 in the paint and 25-8 on the break.

Utah (16-17) trailed by one after the first quarter but opened the second on a 15-4 run and the third on an 11-0 run.

The Jazz led by as many as 20 in the third quarter, and unlike last week when they blew a 19-point lead against the Los Angeles Clippers, they kept pouring it on.

Six Jazz players scored in double figures, the kind of effort they will need if they hope to climb back into the playoff picture.

"I thought defensively we did a pretty good job, especially on some of their big guys,'' Hayward said. "That also spawned us some easy fast-break points, which we haven't really been getting. We talked about that before the game. That was crucial for us.''

Alexey Shved and Kevin Love led Minnesota (14-14) with 13 apiece and Love added 10 rebounds but neither shot well. Love was 4-of-14 shooting and Shved shot 3 of 10.

"This was a great win tonight,'' Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "It showed us what we can do if we concentrate on what we have to do. And this is who we are going to have and we can't feel sorry for ourselves. This is who we have and we have to figure out how we can be as good as we can with this group right now.''

The Jazz were reeling before the game after learning Mo Williams would be out for so long.

But Corbin expressed confidence in veteran backups Tinsley and Watson.

Tinsley showed his leadership, making 5 of 6 shots in the first half, including one where he bounced the inbounds pass off the backside of Nikola Pekovic for an easy layup.

Watson, who is still trying to find his rhythm after a lengthy rehab following knee surgery last season, did his best to push the pace and make the key pass.

The Jazz opened the second quarter on a 15-4 run, with reserves Kanter and Watson providing the biggest punch.

Kanter hit an outside jumper, jammed after a long pass from Watson and went coast-to-coast on a steal for another dunk.

The heady Watson fed players for alley-oops and pushed the ball up the court with long passes, including one that resulted in a Hayward dunk and 40-30 Jazz lead.

In the third quarter, Millsap continued his hot hand, including a fast-break layup after a steal by Jefferson that put Utah up 70-50. Utah closed out the quarter with another 3 by Hayward and a soaring dunk by Kanter.

The Timberwolves, who had wins over Oklahoma City and Phoenix in the last two weeks, had no energy to make a run - even in a building that Kirilenko knew so well.

He was drafted in 1999 by the Jazz (24th overall pick), still owns a home in Salt Lake City and spoke fondly of his former teammates and the Jazz fans.

"There's a lot of memories,'' Kirilenko said. "Every fan for 10 years has some good moments and I have a lot of good moments here.''

Wednesday night, despite the warm reception, was one to forget.

NOTES: Utah's roster is full at 15 because guard Raja Bell counts even though he is not with the team. The Jazz failed to trade him following a nasty dispute with Corbin last season. ... Love received a technical during Utah's big third-quarter run. Jazz PF Favors had perhaps his best move of the season when he spun around Greg Steimsma during Utah's big second-quarter run. . Former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was in the stands again to see Kirilenko's return. . Pekovic matched his career-best with four blocks.

 

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Harden scores 31 as Rockets beat Hornets 104-92



HOUSTON (AP) When the shots weren't falling, James Harden helped the Houston Rockets find a new way to score.

Harden had 31 points and seven assists to lead the Rockets to a 104-92 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.

When he couldn't find a rhythm from beyond the arc, Harden took to the paint, where he scored 16 of his points. For a team that ranks second only to New York in 3-pointers attempted and made, Houston outscored New Orleans 60-28 in the paint.

"I think that shows the maturity that we're growing and that we're getting better,'' Harden said. "Sometimes our offense isn't on point, but we're finding ways to score.''

Harden has led the Rockets in scoring for 14 straight games, not including a Dec. 10 loss to San Antonio where he was sidelined with an ankle injury. He has posted 20-plus points in a career-best 14 straight games, second only to Kobe Bryant for the league's longest such streak this season.

Omer Asik had 21 points and eight rebounds, and forward Patrick Patterson scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and added nine rebounds in the game for the Rockets.

Harden and Asik combined to score 18 of Houston's 25 third-quarter points.

Reserve Ryan Anderson had 18 points, and Greivis Vasquez had the third double-double of his last four games with 15 points and 14 assists for New Orleans, which lost for the 14th time in the last 16 games.

Just two days after hitting a season-high 16 3-pointers in a victory over Atlanta, the Rockets went cold from beyond the arc. Houston made a season-low five 3s on 24 attempts (20.8 percent.).

"They didn't hit the 3s that they normally hit, but they just kept attacking our guards,'' New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. "They played in our paint all night long.''

The Rockets led 49-44 at halftime, falling short of 50 first-half points for just the second time in the last nine games. Houston entered Wednesday's game second in the league in scoring with 105.8 points per game.

"We're going to take a lot of 3s,'' Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "It's just how our offense is and how our personnel is. We do live and die by that a little bit.''

Anderson tied the game for New Orleans at 82 on a 3-pointer with less than seven minutes remaining, but Houston followed with a 10-2 run.

"They shoot the ball so well and when they run, they can capitalize very quickly,'' Williams said. "We just got beat up in the fourth quarter and weren't able to come back.''

Chandler Parsons finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Houston, and Jeremy Lin had nine points and seven assists.

In addition to Anderson, Jason Smith and Brian Roberts also scored in double-figures off the bench for New Orleans.

New Orleans was without guard Eric Gordon, who had spent most of the season recovering from a knee injury before making his season debut last Saturday. Gordon scored 11 points Tuesday night, but Williams rested him as a precaution and said he expected Gordon to return when the Hornets visit Dallas on Saturday.

Rookie Austin Rivers started in place of Gordon and finished with only four points and one assist in 17 minutes. Rivers made just one of six free throws, and New Orleans finished 11 of 20 from the free throw line.

"We have some young guys who have never been in this position before and they're overwhelmed,'' Williams said. "I wish the season started today because we'd be in a lot better shape, record-wise. Guys are frustrated, but I see tons of growth and this is going to help us going forward.''

The Rockets visit Milwaukee on Friday to begin a stretch where they will play nine of their next 11 games on the road. Houston is 5-8 on the road and 13-6 at home.

Notes: Houston announced Wednesday the signing of G/F James Anderson, who averaged 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game in 10 games this season for San Antonio. The Spurs waived Anderson on Dec. 20. To make room for Anderson, the Rockets released G Daequan Cook.

 

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Nets drop Thunder 110-93 as Durant ejected



OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) P.J. Carlesimo's first big motivational message as the interim coach of the Brooklyn Nets earned him an elusive win in Oklahoma City, and perhaps the kind of jolt his team needs to get out of a monthlong funk.

Joe Johnson scored a season-high 33 points, Deron Williams added 19 points and 13 assists, and the Nets snapped Oklahoma City's 12-game home winning streak by beating the Thunder 110-93 Wednesday night in a game featuring the first ejection of Kevin Durant's career.

Johnson said Carlesimo "jumped on us'' after a 31-point thumping at San Antonio two nights earlier, stressing the importance of ball movement on offense and helping each other out on defense.

"To be honest, it helped,'' Johnson said. "It translated into the game because we were in a spot defensively that we hadn't been in in a while. We was talking, communicating, the ball was moving great, guys were getting wide-open shots and it just kind of played into our hands.''

The Nets built a 23-point lead late in the second quarter, then allowed Oklahoma City to tie it at 85 before ripping off a 23-8 run to seize control right back. Durant was ejected near the end of the surge, arguing with Danny Crawford after the referee had already issued a technical foul against Kendrick Perkins.

"I just thought it was a bad call. You get frustrated throughout a game, you show emotion. That's how you can tell you love it,'' said Durant, who scored 27 points.

The three-time scoring champion had never before been ejected in his six NBA seasons but got tossed after Brooklyn rallied largely from the foul line. The Nets made 11 free throws in a span of just over 5 minutes, pulling away after Oklahoma City had finally fought all the way back.

But Durant said it wasn't a disparity in foul calls or any cumulative complaint about the officiating that sent him to the showers early.

"I said, "It's a bad call,''' he said. "They've got a quick trigger now.''

"I think I'm allowed to be frustrated, especially in this league. With the ups and downs, the players are allowed to be frustrated,'' Durant added. "It is what it is, move on from it.''

Brook Lopez added 25 points as Brooklyn ended a seven-game losing streak in the series and got Carlesimo a victory against the team that fired him back in 2008. He'd only had one win in Oklahoma City during his abbreviated tenure in charge of the Thunder, getting fired after a 1-12 start after the team's summer relocation from Seattle.

He started his interim stint with the Nets by notching wins against Charlotte and Cleveland before the 104-73 blowout loss at San Antonio.

"For whatever reason, we didn't have quite the same kind of energy in San Antonio, but we learned from it. ... Tonight was tremendous energy,'' Carlesimo said.

Johnson gave him credit for the turnaround, but he deflected it to Gerald Wallace, who was back in the starting lineup after sitting out Monday's game with a bruised left knee.

"Gerald Wallace is a monster. You want to talk about something that wasn't in San Antonio? Gerald Wallace, because Gerald Wallace is kind of the heart, the way he plays,'' Carlesimo said. "So, it's not easy for us to play without Gerald Wallace.''

The Nets have been seeking a spark after following a strong November, when Avery Johnson was named the Eastern Conference's coach of the month, by going 3-10 and costing him his job.

"It's huge any time you play a good team, but particularly when you play them on the road,'' Carlesimo said. "Honestly, this is a big-time win. It's a great, great win.''

Russell Westbrook had 26 points and 10 assists for Oklahoma City, which lost for only the third time at home this season.

The Thunder clamped down after trailing by 16 at halftime, rallying to pull within 71-68 when Westbrook finished off a 12-3 burst with a jumper from the left elbow with 3:47 left in the third quarter. Lopez powered his way in for a two-handed slam to stem the tide for Brooklyn, but Oklahoma City kept coming.

Durant and Kevin Martin connected on consecutive 3-pointers to finally even it up at 85 with 7:11 to play, only for Johnson to answer with a runner at the other end to put the Nets right back ahead and start the clinching run.

Brooklyn shot exactly 50 percent, becoming just the second team to hit at least half of its shots against Oklahoma City.

"Offense is not what lost us the game. It's not because we didn't make enough shots or we didn't have enough assists,'' Durant said. "We just didn't play any defense.''

Carlesimo spoke as though he held no grudge against the Thunder, who replaced him - then on an interim basis - with Scott Brooks, who has overseen the team's rise into a championship contender.

Back when Carlesimo was in charge, Durant was starting his second year in the NBA and Westbrook was a rookie who had yet to break into the starting lineup. Now, they're both established All-Stars.

"It's a team I feel closer to than a lot of other teams. Hopefully, we helped KD and Nick (Collison) a little bit and Russell a tiny bit that first year, but I think it's safe to say they've gone on and overcome whatever coaching they got from me,'' Carlesimo said, drawing laughs.

At the start, it looked like Carlesimo's new squad would run away with it against the Thunder, who started the day with the league's best record.

Johnson and Lopez combined to go 9 for 9 from the field to propel the Nets to a quick 27-11 lead, and the lead grew to as much as 23 twice - including at 55-32 after Johnson drilled a 3-pointer off a touch pass from Wallace.

Notes: Carlesimo's only win with the Thunder - after the SuperSonics had relocated from Seattle - came at home on Nov. 2, 2008, against Minnesota. ... The Thunder's largest previous deficit of the season was 16 in a loss at home against Memphis. ... Oklahoma City got a delay of game warning for failing to get onto the court in time for tip-off, as part of the NBA's emphasis on allowing teams 90 seconds between the end of introductions and the tip-off. ... Nets reserve Jerry Stackhouse sat out with a sore right hamstring.

 

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Thunder vs Nets highlights

Kevin Durant gets his first ever NBA ejection in Thunder loss.

 

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Barea leads T-Wolves to 101-97 win over Nuggets



DENVER (AP) Not even a sprained finger to their All-Star forward could spoil this win for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

And it definitely made up for the clunker they turned in the night before - as much as it can, anyway.

J.J. Barea scored 12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter while Kevin Love sat on the bench with an injured finger, lifting Minnesota to a 101-97 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

The Timberwolves were playing for the second straight night, but fatigue hardly appeared to be a factor as they handed the Nuggets a rare home loss.

"Awesome,'' Barea said. "We came in ready today.''

The Nuggets? Not so much.

Denver looked lethargic two days after snapping the Los Angeles Clippers' 17-game winning streak.

That bothered coach George Karl - a lot.

"We gave one away tonight,'' said Karl, whose team drops to 10-2 at home this season. "It wasn't our defense, it was our lackadaisical effort, our urgency, like this game doesn't mean as much as the Clippers game.''

The contest went back and forth in the final quarter before Luke Ridnour gave the Timberwolves the lead for good on a 3-pointer with 2:43 remaining. Barea then followed with another 3 to cement the win.

"It was good to hit some shots. We've been struggling to hit shots as a team,'' Ridnour said. "To be able to get going like that feels good.''

Especially with Love only able to watch after leaving with a sprained finger on his right hand in the third quarter. Love broke the same hand in October, missing the opening nine games of the season, and has struggled to get on track with his jumper ever since.

On the play in which he was injured, Love appeared to be sliding past a Nuggets player in the lane when he suddenly clutched at his hand before heading into the training room. Love had 12 points and 17 rebounds in nearly 24 minutes.

He later returned to the bench to support his teammates.

"He said he could have played, but he couldn't shoot,'' coach Rick Adelman said.

The Nuggets may have been more flustered by the loss of Love than the Timberwolves. The quickness of Ridnour and Barea gave Denver fits.

"I think Minnesota at times plays better without Love,'' Karl said. "They're kind of a machine-like offense. They give guys different opportunities. But they're pretty good.''

No one more than Barea, who found his touch late in the game.

"I got on a good rhythm there and kept attacking,'' he said. "It worked out for us.''

Did it ever and makes what happened in Utah all the more puzzling. The Timberwolves were blown out 106-84 in a rather uninspiring effort.

"You're going to have a couple of games a year like we did in Utah,'' Ridnour explained. "You just don't want to have too many of them. Fortunately, everybody bounced back today. We got a big win in a really tough place to play.''

Despite the loss, it was a big night for the usually modest Andre Miller, who scored the 15,000th point of his career on a mid-range jumper in the first quarter. He became only the eighth player to reach that scoring plateau while also compiling 7,500 career assists. Oscar Robertson, Gary Payton, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash also accomplished the feat.

In typical Miller fashion, the 36-year-old downplayed the approaching milestone before the game.

"A big individual accomplishment ... I try not to dwell on it,'' said Miller, who finished with 11 points and 10 assists. "I never even thought about it. It's good to get it over with.''

Miller started the game in place of Ty Lawson, who's still recovering from a strained left Achilles tendon. Lawson sat out Tuesday when the Nuggets beat the Clippers and has been bothered by tightness in the tendon for the past week.

The speedy point guard provided a spark off the bench against Minnesota - the first time in nearly two years that Lawson entered a game as a reserve. He and Kosta Koufos each finished with 16 points for Denver.

The Timberwolves were without point guard Ricky Rubio, who has been dealing with back spasms and remained in Minnesota during the two-game swing through Utah and Denver. The team is being cautious with Rubio, who is coming back from a torn ACL in his left knee. Minnesota hopes to have Rubio back Saturday against Portland.

NOTES: The Pepsi Center hasn't been kind to Love, who sustained a mild concussion and neck strain after a hit to the head in a game against Denver last April. ... The Timberwolves had six players score in double figures. Alexey Shved also had 17 points. ... Denver is 4-13 this season when allowing 100 or more points. ... Asked about the chances of the Denver Broncos making the Super Bowl, Karl said, "I like them.''

 

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Knicks end Spurs' 7-game winning streak in romp



NEW YORK (AP) Sometime between Stephen Jackson's sideline stumble and J.R. Smith's soaring slam, the San Antonio Spurs realized this wasn't their night.

Too much fatigue and way too much Knicks defense.

Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points, Smith kept up his surge with 20 and New York snapped San Antonio's seven-game winning streak with a 100-83 victory Thursday night.

Steve Novak added 15 points and Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 14 rebounds to help the Knicks bounce back from consecutive losses by dominating the final period against the Spurs, who appeared to run out of gas in their second game in two nights.

"They shot the hell out of it and I could see it wasn't going to happen,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Just too low on fuel and their defense was too good. Bad combination, and then they made shots, which makes it even worse.''

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker each had just 11 points for the Spurs, who lost Jackson to an unusual injury, then lost what had been the NBA's longest winning streak.

Jackson played just three minutes off the bench before spraining his right ankle when he took a shot then fell back into a waitress working the sideline in front of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Smith, who had scored 25 points in his last four games as a reserve, highlighted his outing with an acrobatic dunk in the fourth quarter that brought fans to their feet. The lobbed pass came from reserve point guard Pablo Prigioni, who had one of his most complete games since coming to the NBA at age 35, finishing with six points and nine assists.

That meant the Knicks needed just an ordinary game from Anthony, who finished with about half of the season high-tying 45 he scored in a loss against Portland on Tuesday.

"That's their scheme, to try to take me out of the game,'' Anthony said. "Just a matter of us making shots when we swing the ball, and Novak made shots, J.R. kept his streak alive of playing good basketball, Pablo came in and led our team from the point guard position. Everybody contributed in their own way.''

The Knicks put away what had been a close game for three quarters, scoring the first 10 points of the fourth to take a 17-point lead. The Spurs, playing for the fourth time in five nights, went with reserves from there and never put much of a dent in it.

San Antonio, which averaged 111.7 points on 53.4 percent shooting during its winning streak and rang up 117 points on Wednesday in Milwaukee, shot just 36 percent in its lowest-scoring game this season. Gary Neal led the Spurs with 12 points.

"It wasn't the first time, it's not going to be the last one,'' Spurs reserve Manu Ginobili said of the tired performance. "But of course we've got to give them credit because they forced us to not find anything easy, they made us really work.''

Popovich praised the Knicks' defense before the game, though it had slipped during their stretch of three losses in four games. Looking for a fix, coach Mike Woodson gave Marcus Camby a start at forward in hopes of ending the Knicks' slow starts, and they allowed just 19 points in the first quarter.

"Our defense was slacking the last 10 games or so. Our defense kind of went the other way,'' Woodson said. "We put a nice feel-good tape together to show our players how we started the season, that we were No. 1 in defense and on offense. There was some major slippage.''

Amare Stoudemire had 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting in his second game of the season after knee surgery. He seemed more aggressive than in his debut Tuesday but is clearly without his typical explosiveness, having a number of shots blocked when he tried to power his way inside.

Leading 67-60 after three, the Knicks made it 77-60 on Novak's 3-pointer with 10:24 remaining in the game. New York poured it on from there, the lead growing to 20 when Smith caught a lob from Prigioni around his waist while in the air and slammed it home as the players on the Knicks bench jumped up in celebration.

"J.R. does some amazing things. He's a freak of nature,'' Chandler said.

Novak followed with another 3-pointer on the next possession to make it 95-72.

Jackson entered the game just 13 seconds in, but his night was over late in the period after his bizarre injury. Jackson launched a 3-pointer from the corner with 3:23 left, stepping backward out of bounds after the miss and falling onto the waitress. He limped back onto the court as the Knicks played with a 5-on-4 advantage that led to Anthony's 3-pointer. The Spurs then took a timeout and Jackson limped off toward the locker rooms.

It was unclear if the waitress was serving Bloomberg, who was seen eating a box of popcorn shortly after.

Jackson was unavailable for comment.

Woodson said before the game he thought the Spurs were the best team in basketball right now, though Popovich dismissed that as gamesmanship he learned from Larry Brown. San Antonio sure didn't look its best while losing for the first time since a 112-106 setback at Denver on Dec. 18 and getting held well below its NBA-best 105.9 points per game.

Notes: The Spurs hadn't played here since January 2011, so this was their first time back in Madison Square Garden since renovations began. Popovich jokingly yelled at Parker for not knowing how to get from the locker room to the court before the game. ... Ginobili, Prigioni's teammate with Argentina's national team, was held to eight points on 2-of-10 shooting.

 

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Boozer leads Bulls past Heat 96-89



MIAMI (AP) Even when seated, the Chicago Bulls outrebounded the Miami Heat.

Following one missed shot, the ball rolled between forward Carlos Boozer's legs as he fell on his backside, yet he still managed to scoop it up and feed a teammate for two more second-chance points for Chicago.

Dominating on the glass and the hardwood, the Bulls became only the third visiting team to win in Miami this season, beating the Heat 96-89 Friday night.

Chicago outrebounded Miami 48-28. The Bulls had 19 offensive rebounds to four for the Heat.

"Everybody in both locker rooms understands what the overwhelming key to the game was,'' Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They were throwing it up there and playing volleyball against us.''

The Eastern Conference-leading Heat fell to 15-3 at home. Their other home defeats came against the Knicks and Warriors.

"It always feels good to beat the Heat,'' said center Joakim Noah, who had 12 rebounds. "And we get a night out in the city, so we're hyped right now. We haven't been playing great basketball and this is probably our biggest win of the year against the defending champs. It feels good.''

The first meeting between the teams this season was a bruiser, and the Bulls repeatedly outfought and outfoxed Miami on the boards.

The Heat, who are last in the NBA in rebounds, had won four games this season when outrebounded by 15 or more. But this time the disparity beat them.

"It's just the will of going to do it,'' LeBron James said. "It's a reoccurrence. You give a team like this extra possessions, they're going to capitalize.''

James scored 30 points, extending his streaks of scoring at least 20 points to 31 consecutive games this season, and 52 games in a row overall when including last year's playoff run. He has scored at least 25 in eight consecutive games.

But he had just six rebounds, which led the Heat. Boozer had 12 rebounds for Chicago, and Taj Gibson added nine in 17 minutes.

The Bulls' final offensive rebound helped seal the win. Jimmy Butler grabbed it and fed Boozer for a layup with 46 seconds left to put them up 93-86.

Chicago had 20 second-chance points to seven for Miami.

"It's killing us, plain and simple,'' said Heat center Chris Bosh, who had one offensive rebound in 38 minutes. "Is it scheme? Is it mental? We'd better figure it out.''

Boozer scored 27 points after totaling a season-high 31 Wednesday at Orlando. Noah, back after missing one game with flu-like symptoms, had 13 points.

They set the tone with their physical play.

"I don't know if that small ball is going to work against us,'' Noah said. "Not with guys like Carlos Boozer in the game.''

While the Heat were often on their heels, they kept coming back. A jarring foul by Kirk Hinrich near the sideline staggered James and he collapsed on the Bulls bench, then was helped to his feet by coach Tom Thibodeau.

Seconds later, James sank a 3.

Noah drew a flagrant foul when he tackled James around the neck with one arm to stop a drive early in the fourth quarter. The violation led to a four-point possession for the Heat, with James sinking four consecutive free throws.

The next time Miami had the ball, James drove for a dunk that cut Chicago's lead to 75-72. But the Heat got no closer.

"We understand how important rebounding is,'' Thibodeau said, "and it showed tonight.''

Chicago won with more than mere muscle. The Bulls' 5-foot-9 Nate Robinson made a leaping interception of a James pass, then smartly bounced the ball off Miami's Shane Battier to avoid traveling. The ball dribbled out of bounds, allowing Chicago to keep possession.

Robinson's 3-pointer with 6 1/2 minutes left gave the Bulls their biggest lead, 83-73.

The Bulls pounded the boards from the start and scored the final 10 points of the first quarter for a 26-22 lead. Butler's buzzer-beater to end the first half put them up 49-48.

Marco Belinelli sank a 3-pointer to put Chicago up 75-66 after three quarters.

The Heat had won their past two games, both in overtime, but the Bulls wouldn't let them get to OT.

NOTES: Regarding All-Star voting, James said with a chuckle: "It looks like I'm going to be a starter. Surprising.'' ... The Bulls are 9-8 home and 9-5 on the road. ... Chicago improved to 8-1 on the road against the Eastern Conference.

 

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Big second half helps Thunder rout Sixers 109-85



OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Oklahoma City Thunder didn't want to leave home on a sour note with a difficult stretch on the road ahead.

Russell Westbrook scored 27 points, Kevin Durant added 26 and the Thunder beat the Philadelphia 76ers 109-85 on Friday night before heading out to play 11 of their next 13 games on the road.

Oklahoma City made eight of its first 10 3-point attempts in the second half and never trailed after scoring the final five points before halftime.

The Thunder had lost 110-93 to Brooklyn on Wednesday night, but were able to avoid posting back-to-back losses at home for the first time since dropping two of the first three games of the 2010-11 season.

"We've got to take advantage of our fans and take advantage of home court,'' Westbrook said.

Oklahoma City went 23 for 36 from the field, connecting at a sizzling 64 percent clip, while outscoring Philadelphia 63-43 in the second half.

"Our defense was really solid the whole night. The offense was a little slow, and coach told us going into the second half that we could score points so quickly, we just have to stick with our defense. That's what we did,'' Durant said.

"All we needed was to see a few shots go down.''

Serge Ibaka chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds and Kevin Martin had 16 points off the bench for the Thunder.

Nick Young hit five 3-pointers and led Philadelphia with 21 points. He also attempted the Sixers' only eight free throws of the game, making six. Oklahoma City went 21 for 27.

"We've got to be stronger, take that ball to the basket and make them foul us,'' Philly coach Doug Collins said. "For one guy to shoot a free throw tonight, I'm not saying anything that that has anything to do with the whistle. So, I don't want that to be miscalculated at all.''

Jrue Holiday had 15 points and nine assists, Dorell Wright contributed 11 points and Thaddeus Young scored 10 for Philadelphia. Spencer Hawes pulled down 13 rebounds. The Sixers fell to 2-5 on their eight-game road trip, which started before Christmas and concludes Saturday night at San Antonio.

The schedule soon flips for both teams. Philadelphia will play 13 of 15 games at home after facing the Spurs. Oklahoma City will try to maintain one of the league's best records while heading East, then on a pair of West Coast swings with brief stops at home in between.

"It's a good test for us to see where we're at. The road is always tough, no matter who you're playing,'' Durant said. "We've got to come out there and try to do a good job. We're looking forward to it.''

The Thunder opened their first double-digit lead shortly after coach Scott Brooks came walking out on to the court to call timeout, screaming, "Let's Go!'' at his players after Westbrook had turned the ball over by driving into the back of teammate Kendrick Perkins shortly after halftime.

Neither player made an attempt to run to the opposite end of the court, and Jason Richardson threw down a two-handed slam off Holiday's alley-oop.

Durant came out of the timeout and immediately drove into the lane, kicking the ball out to Thabo Sefolosha for a 3-pointer, and then drilled a 3 on the next trip down for a 56-46 advantage. Richardson answered with a 3-pointer, a layup and a runner for the Sixers before Westbrook scored six points during an 8-0 burst that pushed the lead to 69-57 for Oklahoma City with 3:50 left in the third quarter.

The Thunder salted it away with a 16-3 run late in the fourth quarter, as both teams started filtering reserves onto the court.

"They'll hit you with a surge, and that's what they did,'' Collins said.

After a tight first half that featured 14 lead changes, Oklahoma City scored the final five points of the first half to take a 46-42 lead and stayed in front the rest of the way.

"They kept making shots,'' Philadelphia's Evan Turner said. "They tried to counter off our turnovers and they got to running. The first half, we slowed the game down and didn't allow them to run.''


Notes: Before the game, Collins offered his analysis of the Thunder's offseason deal that sent Sixth Man of the Year James Harden to Houston for Martin. "I think where you're going to see the value of James Harden is come playoff time. That's when,'' Collins said. "Because James Harden in so many instances, was their point guard and Westbrook scored and Durant. I think that's when you'll really see because in the playoffs, you need as many playmakers as possible. Kevin Martin can really score that ball but he plays off other guys. I think people don't realize James Harden also last year made more free throws in the fourth quarter than anybody in the NBA.'' ... Country star Vince Gill watched the game from a courtside seat along the baseline. ... Oklahoma City has played 20 of its first 32 games at home, going 17-3 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

 

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Nets beat Wizards 115-113 in double overtime



WASHINGTON (AP) Exactly three hours after the game started, Joe Johnson finally won an exhausting game for the Brooklyn Nets.

Johnson's 18-footer with 0.7 seconds left in the second overtime lifted the Nets to a 115-113 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Bradley Beal's two free throws tied the score at 113 with 9.1 seconds to play before Johnson, who had 18 points, hit the shot that improved Brooklyn to 4-1 under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo.

"That's what big-time players do. We put him in a good position to make the play, and he made the play,'' Carlesimo said.

Washington double-teamed Johnson as it had earlier in the game, but this time he knew it was coming.

"In that situation, man, I'd seen the double team coming and I just took one hard dribble and pulled up for a jumper,'' Johnson said.

Brook Lopez had 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets, and Deron Williams added 24 points and 10 assists.

Beal had a career-high 24 points. Jordan Crawford scored 23 points and Nene, who fouled out in the first overtime, had 20 for Washington, which lost its fourth in a row and is now 4-27.

"How many times we've been here? I've lost count,'' an exasperated coach Randy Wittman said.

After Martell Webster's jumper gave the Wizards a 106-104 lead to begin the second overtime, Gerald Wallace made a layup and Keith Bogans converted a three-point play and a layup for a 111-106 lead with 3:21 to play.

Beal hit a 3-pointer as the first overtime ended to tie the score at 104. It was the second time Washington extended the game at the horn. Nene hit a hook shot to tie it at 93 in regulation.

The Wizards scored the first eight points of overtime to take a 101-93 lead with 1:27 left, but the Nets later scored 11 straight for a 104-101 lead with 3.4 seconds left, before Beal's shot.

"Bradley kept us alive when we should have been dead and we never should have been dead to begin with,'' Wittman said.

"The thing that's disturbing is that we do the same mistake over and over again as you're closing the game out. When a guy's doubled, you have to move the ball.''

It was the third straight win in overtime for Brooklyn, and Washington's fifth straight loss in OT.

"Just went down to the wire. There was nothing they were really doing that was killing us. We were neck-and-neck the whole time,'' Beal said.

The game featured the return of Andray Blatche, who was let go by Washington last summer after seven stormy seasons. The Wizards used the amnesty provision on Blatche, who was banished from the team by Wittman last March for poor conditioning.

Blatche was booed by the crowd when he entered with just under five minutes to play in the first quarter. Moments later, with the crowd still booing, he hit his first shot and then drew laughs when he tripped as he ran down the court. He had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

"I probably screwed up by not playing him more than I did,'' Carlesimo said. "There's a lot of people that would not have been able to handle the situation, the first time back. He didn't handle it. He thrived in it.''

Blatche said he didn't care about the crowd's reaction.

"The thing is, the booing didn't affect me at all because I don't play for them. They're supposed to boo me, they're supposed to go against me,'' Blatche said.

The Wizards started off quickly, shooting 9 of 11 as they took a 20-10 lead with 6:27 to play in the first quarter and led 30-20 after one.

In the second quarter, Washington stretched the lead to 36-22 before the Nets hit four consecutive 3-pointers to cut the deficit to two. The Wizards led 55-52 at halftime behind 13 points by Nene and Crawford.


NOTES: Washington G Garrett Temple had a career-high 11 assists. ... Brooklyn was without G C.J. Watson (bruised right knee) and F Kris Humphries (sprained left ankle). F/G Jerry Stackhouse returned after missing Wednesday's game at Oklahoma City with a sore right hamstring. ... Wittman was heartened by seeing all four of his injured players: G John Wall (left knee), G A.J. Price (broken right hand), F Trevor Ariza (left calf) and F Trevor Booker (right knee) at practice on Wednesday. "I didn't know we had 15 here. There for a while here, I thought this was an eight or nine-man squad,'' Wittman said. None were well enough to play. ... The Wizards' 113 points were a season high. Their two highest-scoring games came in double-overtime losses.

 

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Rondo leads Celtics to chippy 94-75 win vs Pacers



BOSTON (AP) Kevin Garnett went over the fans sitting courtside to save the ball, and then he ran through the seats halfway up the court before he found an opening - over the broadcast table - to get back on the floor.

By the end of the game, he couldn't get back on the floor at all.

Garnett scored 18 points before he was ejected for a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter, but by then the Boston Celtics were on their way to a 94-75 victory over the Indiana Pacers that snapped a four-game losing streak.

"You could tell we needed this win, and that's how we came out tonight,'' Garnett said after Boston held the Central Division-leading Pacers to a season-low 31.8 percent shooting. "We needed a win. Tonight was the night to stop the bleeding. I felt like we did that.''

Rajon Rondo added 18 points, seven assists and five rebounds for Boston, which had lost eight of 10 to fall a season-worst three games below .500. Garnett also had seven rebounds and made a nice play to keep a ball from going out of bounds in the second quarter.

After going over the thickly padded courtside seats, Garnett couldn't find a gap in them to get back on the court. He ran through the fans until he got to midcourt, then jumped onto and over the broadcast table to return to the game.

Things weren't so comical by the fourth quarter, though. After three Pacers technical fouls, Garnett picked up a Flagrant 2 for hitting Tyler Hansbrough in the face while flailing with his arms.

The Celtics center said he was merely trying to knock the ball away. Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he thought referee James Capers was trying to keep the game - which was long out of reach - under control.

"I think he was thinking, "I'm going to do him a favor,' because it was getting chippy,'' Rivers said.

Asked if Garnett apologized, Hansbrough said: "KG apologize? Are you from here?''

Hansbrough, who scored 19 points, said his immediate concern was his history of concussions; he didn't notice whether Garnett had reached out.

"I took a shot I'm the head,'' Hansbrough said. "I had to take care of myself. I wasn't really concerned about retaliating at the time. I was just making sure I was OK.''

Coach Frank Vogel, who had one of Indiana's three technicals, said the game was physical on both sides.

"It was only a matter of time before their defense bounced back and it bounced back in a big way tonight,'' he said.

David West and Roy Hibbert had 10 rebounds apiece for the Pacers. Indiana had won six of seven and nine of 11. West and Paul George each went 4 for 18 from the floor.

Paul Pierce scored 13 for the Celtics, and rookie Jared Sullinger had seven points and 10 rebounds before fouling out for the fourth time in seven games.

Indiana led 16-15 after one, with Hibbert collecting five points and six rebounds in the opening quarter. The Celtics trailed 20-19 early in the second when they scored 17 of the next 20 points to open a double-digit lead. Boston made it a 15-point game before the end of the half but led 47-35 at the break.

The Pacers cut the deficit to 10 points with the first basket of the third quarter but Boston soon went on an 11-2 run to make it a 19-point game. It was 24 in the fourth quarter.

NOTES: Indiana's Lance Stephenson was called for a technical foul for taunting after hitting a 3-pointer in the first quarter. Pierce missed the free throw. ... Vogel was called for a technical in the second quarter and West picked one up for shoving in the third. ... Pierce converted a four-point play in the second quarter, his first since 2008, according to Celtics.com. ... The Celtics used their ninth different starting lineup this season in 32 games.

 

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Clippers beat Lakers 107-102 to stop 2-game skid



LOS ANGELES (AP) Los Angeles belongs to the Clippers right now, and they're looking for much more than city dominance at this point.

Chris Paul had 30 points and 13 assists, Blake Griffin added 24 points, and the Clippers led all the way in a 107-102 victory on Friday night, giving them two wins in two games this season against their Staples Center co-tenants. They also stopped a two-game skid and maintained the NBA's second-best record at 26-8.

"Right now we're just focused on being one of the best teams in the league, not just the city,'' said Lamar Odom, one of four former Lakers on the Clippers' roster. "Focus can't be just to be better than one team. Now we're trying to be great.''

Kobe Bryant scored 38 points and Dwight Howard had 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers.

Bryant carried them in the fourth quarter when they closed to 99-97 on his 23-foot jumper with 1:29 left. But Paul scored the Clippers' final eight points to seal the victory and drop the Lakers two games below .500. The Clippers lead the Lakers by 10 games in the standings.

"He's lasered in on the game and trying to get us out of this ditch,'' new Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said about Bryant. "We've just got to keep working and keep our heads up and try to do it.''

The Lakers have lost three of their last four games.

"We played extremely well and we played well defensively in the fourth quarter, so we've just got to kind of rely on that a little bit,'' Bryant said. "We've got to watch the film and just kind of understand some of the adjustments that we made from the first three quarters. They're just extremely athletic and they do a good job of running and getting out and getting momentum for easy baskets.''

The Clippers shot 50 percent and outscored the Lakers 52-36 in the paint, but they didn't play well with the lead down the stretch. Griffin picked up his fifth foul on a technical early in the fourth.

"We let some things distract us, which gave Kobe an opportunity to make some shots at the end,'' Odom said. "We can't worry about officiating and the small things in the game. Tonight was a mental test. We could've done better at times, but the win we'll take.''

Bryant scored 16 points in the fourth, when the Lakers rallied from 19 points down. The Clippers fouled for much of the final 5:51, and the Lakers made 10 of 12 free throws. Howard missed two foul shots but then made two to get the Lakers within four before Bryant's jumper got the Lakers the closest they had been since early in the game.

"We've just got to continually work on doing a better job finishing games out the way we need to at times,'' Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We made it a little bit harder on ourselves than we needed to. Sometimes it wasn't efficient, but we battled the whole night, which was great.''

Paul closed with a flourish, including a 6-for-6 stretch at the line, while Bryant's 3-pointer went in and out with 43 seconds to go.

"We just made a few timely shots. It was about time we make one,'' Paul said. "Last four minutes, we had some terrible possessions, pretty much my fault. So a great credit to our team defense.''

Paul hit a step-back jumper during his late run to keep the Clippers ahead by six.

"It was a contested jumper and he knocked it down. The superstar players will do that,'' Bryant said. "He's very crafty, and to his credit he made some pretty tough shots.''

The Lakers got within three early in the third only to have the Clippers push their lead to 10 points. It was a similar situation in the second, when the Lakers got within five points on Bryant's 3-pointer before the Clippers ran their lead back to 10 points by halftime.

"Look at the difference between our team and theirs,'' Howard said. "They just play together. They share the ball. Everybody's excited when something happens. We have to be like that to be a great team.''

The first three quarters were punctuated with several highlight dunks from both sides. Paul fed DeAndre Jordan and Griffin on alley-oop slams that had the sellout crowd of 20,179 roaring.

The Clippers dropped consecutive games at Denver and Golden State earlier in the week, when their 17-game winning streak was snapped. They host the Warriors on Saturday night, looking for their first win in three games against them this season.

"Those guys have been resting since they played us a few nights ago,'' Paul said. "It's our home game and we've got to take the momentum and beat them.''

Jodie Meeks scored 14 points for the Lakers and fellow reserve Jordan Hill had 13 before he sprained his right ankle early in the fourth.

NOTES: Clippers F Jamal Crawford missed the game with a sore left foot that he hurt in Denver. ... Clippers G Chauncey Billups will start working out Saturday after being out most of the season recovering from surgery. ... Clippers F Grant Hill is expected to return next week after missing all season because of surgery.

 

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Clippers vs Lakers highlights

Chris Paul has 30 points and 13 assists to lead the Clippers past the Lakers.

 

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Clippers get club-record 12th straight home win



LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Clippers had no intention of going 0-3 against the Golden State Warriors, and they played like it.

Chris Paul had 27 points and nine assists, Blake Griffin added 20 points and the Clippers set a franchise record with their 12th straight home victory, 115-89 over the Warriors on Saturday night.

"We've been pretty good at home,'' Paul said. "I think that's 12 in a row for us here. It's all about our fans, and we feed off them. So we've got to keep making this a tough place to play.

"The first time they beat us here, you would have thought they won the NBA Finals,'' Paul added. "Then they beat us up there pretty handily, so we wanted to protect our home court. This was the third time we've played those guys at the end of a back-to-back, so we knew if we let them get out and run, we'd be in for a long night.''

Instead, it was a long night for the Warriors, who slipped four games behind the Clippers in the Western Conference standings. Coach Mark Jackson got so frustrated at one point late in the third quarter after an alley-oop dunk by a giddy DeAndre Jordan, he came onto the court and just glared at the Clippers' bench as they celebrated during the ensuing timeout. Some of them stared back.

"It was just a good old-fashioned heavyweight championship staredown. That's all,'' Jackson said. "But they earned the right to celebrate, the way they played. So what you've got to do as a coach or as a player is just let it soak in and remember it. That's all. Mark it down with permanent ink.''

The Clippers lead the NBA with a 27-8 record, a half-game ahead of conference rivals Oklahoma City and San Antonio. They won a club-record 17 straight overall before back-to-back road losses at Denver and Golden State, then beat the Lakers 107-102 on Friday. The Clippers' previous best home winning streak was set in 1978-79, their first season in San Diego after the franchise left Buffalo.

Jordan added 13 points and eight rebounds for Los Angeles, which built a 23-point lead through the first quarter and won for the 19th time in 21 games overall. Coach Vinny Del Negro pulled Griffin and Paul after the Clippers built a 96-60 lead with 2:40 left in the third quarter.

Klay Thompson had a team-high 14 points for the Warriors (22-11), who had won 12 of 15 and were trying to match the second-best start in team history behind the 1975-76 squad that won 25 of its first 33. They were 23-10 in 1955-56 and in 1991-92.

"We didn't play well and they played like they wanted to send a message, so give them credit,'' Jackson said. "It's fresh in their minds what took place just the other day, so we knew their mindset and we didn't respond.''

Playing their fourth game in five nights, the Clippers busted out of the gate with a 22-6 run while Golden State missed 15 of its first 18 shots. Stephen Curry and David Lee, the only Warriors averaging 20 or more points, both were 0 for 4 during that stretch.

"The Clippers outplayed us in every facet of the game, but it wasn't due to a lack of preparation,'' Lee said. "NBA players realize that out of an 82-game schedule there are going to be nights like this, and nights where you win by 30. They were on their fourth game in five nights, and they outplayed us from the jump.''

Matt Barnes stripped the ball from rookie Draymond Green under the basket and hustled the length of the floor to tip in Willie Green's missed layup just before the first-quarter buzzer, giving Los Angeles a 35-12 cushion. It was the lowest-scoring opening period for the Warriors.

"This was a business win for us,'' Griffin said. "This is how we want to win games. We wanted to take care of it early, and that's what we did. Wednesday's game was pretty fresh in our minds.''

The Clippers extended the margin to 67-43 at halftime, shooting 61.4 percent from the field and outrebounding the Warriors 24-12. Eric Bledsoe provided the exclamation point at the end of the second quarter when he blocked a driving layup by Jarrett Jack just before the buzzer. The 6-foot-1 point guard has 24 blocked shots in the team's first 35 games and 63 in 156 regular-season contests.

"The fact that they beat us twice was the biggest thing,'' Barnes said. "They're a conference opponent and they're only a few games behind us, so you just want to come out and make a statement.''

Shooting guard Jamal Crawford, who leads the Clippers' reserves with 16.5 points per game, missed his second straight contest because of a sore left foot. The 13-year veteran, who signed as a free agent in July, tops all reserves in the league with 14 games of 20 or more points - including the 27 he scored against the Warriors in a 114-110 loss on Nov. 3, and the 24 he had against them in Wednesday's 115-94 defeat at Oakland.

"Right now we're just trying to get healthy,'' Paul said. "We're missing Jamal, Grant (Hill) and Chauncey (Billups), but we've got two games in the next seven days, so hopefully we can rest up a little bit. I'm glad this four-of-five stretch is over. I'm tired.''

NOTES: The Clippers have beaten the Warriors at least once in each of the last 26 seasons, their longest such streak against any team. ... Lee was called for a flagrant 1 foul with 2:38 left in the second quarter when he got his hands on Griffin's torso as he went up for an alley-oop lob from Eric Bledsoe. Griffin missed the shot and landed on his feet.

 

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Anthony scores 40, Knicks down Magic 114-106



ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) New York coach Mike Woodson would like to see his team lean more on its defense to help it win games.

He'll live with a few more of Carmelo Anthony's offensive exhibitions in the meantime.

Anthony scored 16 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, helping the New York Knicks hold off the Orlando Magic 114-106 on Saturday night.

"Just a matter of us trying to get it going,'' Anthony said. "To get it going and doing whatever it takes to win a basketball game. That's what we did. ... It seemed like when it was time to really buckle down and try to win the basketball game, we did those things.''

J.R. Smith added 18 points off the bench and Tyson Chandler had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

The Knicks have won two straight overall and four in a row over the Magic, dating back to last season. They also improved to 2-1 since Amar'e Stoudemire returned to action following knee surgery.

"We were down coming into the fourth, and we held them to 17 points. That's the sign of a team that didn't want to lose,'' Woodson said. "(They) picked it up defensively and did what they had to do, and offensively they made plays.''

Arron Afflalo and Jameer Nelson each had 29 points to lead the Magic, and Nik Vucevic contributed 11 points and 18 rebounds. Afflalo got treatment at halftime after taking a hard fall, and scored 20 in the second half.

"Clearly we have to learn how to win, if that makes sense,'' Afflalo said. "Coach is doing a great job in terms of the schemes of the game plan. We're definitely competing hard as players, but we need to learn how to win.''

Orlando outrebounded New York 45-40, but had 14 turnovers as it extended its longest losing streak of the season to eight games.

All of the losses have come since the injury of starting forward Glen Davis, who continues to rehab his sprained left shoulder.

Orlando has played well against some of the East's top teams, with narrow losses over its past three outings to Miami, Chicago and now New York.

It's hardly a consolation prize, though, for a team that may not get Davis back in action for at least another week, if not longer.

"I told our guys that this is about different challenges throughout the course of the season and everyone wants to win - it's what makes us competitors,'' Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. "We did a lot of good things tonight.''

The Magic flipped a four-point halftime deficit into an 89-81 lead entering the fourth.

The Knicks rallied using their size, going up 99-97 on a dunk by Chandler with 5:14 left.

Orlando's Josh McRoberts got tangled up underneath with Chandler a few trips later and was whistled for a technical. Steve Novak then knocked down the ensuing free throw to push the Knicks' lead to 102-98.

It was 106-102 when Jason Kidd swished a 3-pointer from the corner with less than two minutes to play.

Afflalo got a layup to drop a few possessions later, but Anthony quickly answered with a hanging 16-footer. The Magic were forced to foul and the Knicks then closed it out at the foul line.

Stoudemire played only 16 minutes, but finished with 11 points and four rebounds. His presence in the middle also forced the Magic to take more jumpers than they wanted to down the stretch.

Woodson said he is easing Stoudemire back into action.

"He's fine,'' Woodson said. "I'm playing him in spurts. I can't play him long minutes I thought he gave us some adequate minutes when he was in there and it's going to be a process...He'll back to his old self soon.''

Nelson kept the Magic in the game for most of the second half, but was held scoreless in the final period.

Woodson started veteran Marcus Camby for the second straight game, citing the defensive presence he brought to the game early in their recent win over San Antonio.

Orlando had other plans to open the game Saturday.

Nelson scored eight of the Magic's first 11 points as Orlando built a 14-2 first quarter lead, forcing a quick New York timeout.

Orlando held its cushion for most of the half until a 9-0 spurt by the Knicks late in the second quarter gave them their largest lead at 55-48.

The Magic were just 7 of 19 from the field in the second quarter, with seven turnovers. New York took a 59-55 edge into halftime.

New York now heads home, where it will play three of its next four games.

"It's hard to win on the road, I don't care who you play,'' Woodson said. "The fact that we gutted it up when we had to in the fourth quarter tells me a lot. We've been down before and we always seem to come back. Tonight wasn't any different.''

NOTES: Stoudemire honored his late brother, Hazell Stoudemire, by providing tickets for 30 children from their Lake Wales, Fla. hometown to watch Saturday's game. Hazell, known as "Big STAT'', died in February of last year in a car accident. His birthday would have been Friday. "I think of my brother and the knowledge he gave me every day,'' Amar'e Stoudemire said. "I hope by giving these children this unique experience, I will pay forward some of the positive impact Hazell made on me and my family.'' ...Knicks F Rasheed Wallace sat out again as he continues to get treatment for a sore left foot. He remains day-to-day. Wallace hasn't played since Dec. 13. ...Vucevic leads with Magic with 15 double-doubles on the season.

 

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Rondo, Pierce help Celtics rally past Hawks



ATLANTA (AP) After listening to Doc Rivers lecture the Boston Celtics at halftime, Paul Pierce told his teammates to respect their coach and follow orders.

"We were kind of bickering at each other a little bit too much, figuring out what defense we were going to run,'' Pierce said. "And I just had to say that the fight ain't with one another. It's against the other team on the court.''

The Celtics responded in the second half, with Rajon Rondo finishing off a triple double as Boston rallied for an 89-81 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

Pierce scored 17 of his 26 points in the third quarter as the Celtics erased a 19-point deficit and went on to consecutive wins for the first time since late November against Oklahoma City and Orlando. Rondo had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Boston, which beat Indiana 94-75 on Friday night, had lost four straight road games.

Rivers insisted that despite the first-half struggles against the Hawks, the game plan would not change.

"I was like, "This ain't it, don't get mad at Doc, he's coaching,''' Pierce said. "We've got to get mad at this other team.''

Lou Williams scored 21 of his 28 points in the first half for Atlanta, which has lost two straight. Jeff Teague added 17 points, and Josh Smith, who was 2 for 12 in the second half, finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Hawks got off to a fast start, then fell apart in the third quarter as Boston began doubling ballhandlers on the perimeter and clamping down on Atlanta inside.

"They just climbed up in us defensively,'' Teague said. "They got physical and they brought pressure and got us out of our comfort zone. We just didn't respond.''

The Celtics trailed by 19 with 6:20 left in the second, but went up 61-60 on Jared Sullinger's alley-oop layup with 3:47 left in the third. It was their first lead since the game's first minute.

Boston opened the third with a 14-1 run to pull within one. Hawks coach Larry Drew, whose team missed its first five shots from the field to begin the second half, called timeout at the 7:29 mark, but Teague lost the ball out of the bounds on the ensuing possession.

Atlanta, which had 13 turnovers and three assists in the second half, was just 2 for 14 from the field in the third and trailed 71-62 heading to the final period.

Kevin Garnett's fast-break layup with 8:53 remaining gave the Celtics their first double-digit lead at 79-68. Garnett finished with 14 points.

"The second half was completely different,'' Rivers said. "We worked the set. The first play went from one side to the other on offense. On defense they were late in the shot clock because Avery (Bradley) and Rondo both were up ball pressuring. And it changed the game for us.''

Williams had outscored the Celtics 13-10 by the 5:47 mark of the first, connecting on his first seven shots from the field. His 16th point came on a layup for Atlanta's first double-digit lead at 23-12 late in the first.

But the Hawks could not overcome the absence of injured shooting guards Devin Harris and Anthony Morrow. Kyle Korver then fouled out with 6:37 remaining, and DeShawn Stevenson played only 13 minutes because of sore knees.

Drew called it "probably the most disappointing loss of the season'' considering the Hawks have gone soft with big leads all season and backed down from the team that eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs last season.

"We've seen this kind of scenario before where we've played well and then when it starts to get more physical, we don't respond,'' Drew said. "That was clearly what happened tonight.''

Jason Terry, in his first season with Boston and 13th overall, credited Pierce with backing up Rivers and straightening out the team's collective attitude.

"We took the challenge,'' Terry said. "We took it personal. You come in at halftime, and Lou Williams has 21 points, primarily all easy baskets. He was just letting them fly. So we wanted to invade his space. As we did that, we started to get more and more stops.

"Paul Pierce got it rolling. He really made his imprint on the game.''

NOTES: Korver fouled out for the first time in 27 games this season and finished with nine points. ... Atlanta scored 31 points in the first quarter, tying for the highest by a Boston opponent and the most since the Celtics opened the season Oct. 30 at Miami. ... The Hawks' nine points in the third were a season low by a Boston opponent. ... Harris missed his ninth straight game with a sore left foot. ... Morrow was sidelined for the fifth straight game because of a strained right hip.

 

[fastbreak]

James leads Heat past woeful Wizards 99-71



MIAMI (AP) The Miami Heat hit the boards from the start and pulled away at the end.

Chastened by a rare home defeat, Miami had a rebounding advantage for a change Sunday and scored the final 21 points to beat the woeful Washington Wizards 99-71.

The Heat were coming off only their third home loss of the season Friday against Chicago. They allowed the Bulls 20 second-chance points, but Washington totaled just four.

Miami, beaten on the boards by a total of 38 rebounds over the previous three games, this time enjoyed a 50-39 advantage. Udonis Haslem had 12 rebounds and Chris Bosh added nine.

"There were some better in-traffic battles, guys going up and trying to get it with two hands, guys getting up off the ground,'' coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That disposition to rebound was better. It's an effort thing.''

The game matched the teams with the best and worst records in the Eastern Conference, and in the late going it looked like it. Miami scored the final 21 points and held Washington scoreless over the last 7:07.

"The defense came alive,'' LeBron James said. "We understand that if we want to win, ultimately we have to defend.''

James scored 24 points, extending his streaks of scoring at least 20 to 32 consecutive games this season, and 53 in a row including last year's playoff run.

James launched into a long jump in dismay when his dunk was waved off because of a Wizards foul. He gave the Heat a scare when he tweaked his left ankle and limped away from a scrum after drawing a foul, but he stayed in the game.

And there was no slackening in his scoring pace. He shot 9 for 17 and had seven assists.

The Wizards (4-28), last in the NBA in points and shooting, clanked a succession of open shots and hit 36 only percent. They lost their fifth game in a row and fell to 0-13 on the road against Eastern Conference teams.

Miami improved to 16-3 at home and now embarks on a six-game trip.

"We're going to see where we're at,'' Bosh said. "Trips are always a test.''

As the Heat center, Bosh became a focus of criticism for their poor work on the boards. In response, he said, he kept track of his rebound total during the game.

"I'm just counting them so everybody will get off my back,'' he said with a chuckle. "It's nine today. OK. Now I need to get nine the next game - or maybe even 10.

"The only way we can do a better job is if each guy challenges himself a little more, and I challenged myself tonight.''

Spoelstra said he noticed a difference in Bosh, who sparked a fast start by Miami.

"I just like to see him get off the floor,'' Spoelstra said. "He probably had more jumps in this game than he has had in a lot of them. He was active. It felt like he was a 7-foot player, which he is.''

Bosh finished with 17 points and a season-high four blocks. Ray Allen scored 20 off the bench and helped Miami pull away in the fourth quarter.

The Heat made their first seven shots to go ahead 15-6. The Wizards made several runs but never managed to pull even.

"Every time we came back, we got lazy,'' center Kevin Seraphin said. "We have to learn that every time we come back, we have to keep going to get stops.''

The Wizards cut the margin to 78-71 midway through the fourth quarter but didn't score again, missing their final eight shots.

Allen made two 3-pointers and a three-point play down the stretch for the Heat. He finished 8 for 12.

"When you're not scoring and they're running, we're not making them take the ball out of bounds,'' Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "That makes a difference.''

Jordan Crawford, who leads Washington in scoring this season, went 1 for 7 and was held to two points. Seraphin led the Wizards with 14 points off the bench.


NOTES: The crowd included New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, seated in the front row at midcourt next to Heat owner Micky Arison. ... The Heat begin their trip Tuesday at Indiana, where they're 9-35. ... The Heat had their best start shooting since Dec. 27, 2009 against the Pacers, when they made their first eight shots. ... Even with the loss, the Wizards are 3-3 against Miami over the past two seasons. ... Billy the Marlin drew scattered boos when he made an appearance to help celebrate Heat mascot Burnie's birthday. Fans are unhappy about the team's recent payroll purge.

 

[fastbreak]

Westbrook scores 23, Thunder beat Raptors 104-92



TORONTO (AP) To Kevin Durant, an early afternoon start in Toronto against an improving Raptors team was a trap waiting to be sprung on Oklahoma City.

But with a balanced offensive attack, and a defensive correction in the second half, the Thunder steered clear of getting caught.

Russell Westbrook scored 23 points, Durant had 22 and Oklahoma City beat the Raptors 104-92 on Sunday, giving the Thunder a winning start to a stretch that sees them play 11 of 13 on the road.

"This is one of those trap games when you play at 1:00 p.m. in Toronto,'' Durant said. "It's a tough place to play. A few teams came in here and lost around this time. We knew we had to be focused and have a lot of energy from the beginning.''

Serge Ibaka had 19 points and eight rebounds and Kevin Martin scored 16 for Oklahoma City, who came in having played an NBA-low 12 road games this season but improved to 9-4 as visitors.

"We just want to keep on playing like we're at home and keep on racking up the wins,'' Martin said.

Nick Collison had 10 points and eight rebounds to help the Thunder win for the fifth time in eight games since their season-long 12-game winning streak.

Oklahoma City is 14-0 this season when at least five players score in double figures.

"Everybody participated, everybody chipped in and everybody did their job,'' Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "We're good when we force the defense to chase the ball around and the ball finds a good shot. It's not really who finds it, just as long as it's a good shot.''

Westbrook and Durant each had seven assists. For Durant, that was his most since dishing out a career-high 10 against Golden State on Nov. 18.

"Kevin is the best scorer in the game,'' Westbrook said. "He can score whenever he pleases but he does a great job of keeping his teammates involved.''

Alan Anderson scored 19 of his career-high 27 points in the second quarter and Amir Johnson had 19 for the Raptors, who lost their second straight after winning eight of nine.

"I praised our guys, the way we fought and scrapped,'' Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "But at the end of day reality set in.''

DeMar DeRozan scored 11 points but made just four of 16 field goal attempts. DeRozan made only 3 of 11 attempts in Friday's loss to Sacramento.

"We wanted to make sure we didn't give him any easy shots,'' Brooks said. "He's an athletic guy that can get to the rim and his mid-range game is good.''

Kyle Lowry scored 10 for the Raptors, who had won four of their previous five home meetings with Oklahoma City. Jose Calderon had 10 points and 11 assists as Toronto dropped to 6-14 against Western Conference opponents.

Toronto guard Terrence Ross left one minute into the fourth quarter with a sprained left ankle and did not return. Casey said Ross' injury is not considered serious but declined to say whether the rookie would be available for Wednesday's game against Philadelphia.

Ibaka scored 10 points as the Thunder built a 23-12 lead with 3:10 left in the first, but Toronto closed the quarter with six straight points to make it 23-18 after one.

Anderson connected on his first six field goal attempts of the second quarter, including four 3-pointers, as the Raptors took a 39-37 lead with 5:40 left. Toronto kept it close the rest of the way, but a 3 by Thabo Sefolosha with 36 seconds left gave Oklahoma City a 52-50 edge at the half.

"That second quarter we were just exchanging baskets and when you do that, teams can get comfortable and teams can get hot,'' Brooks said.

Anderson and the Raptors cooled off in the third, making just five of 16 field goal attempts. Westbrook scored 12 points for the Thunder in the third as Oklahoma City pulled away again, taking a 78-67 lead into the fourth.

"In the second half we really locked in defensively,'' Brooks said. "Our length and athleticism causes a lot of problems.''


NOTES: Toronto fell to 0-16 when allowing 100 points or more. ... This was the Thunder's first game north of the border since December, 2010. They did not visit the Raptors during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. ... Toronto C Aaron Gray (flulike symptoms) did not dress, with Johnson taking his place in the starting lineup. ... Raptors F Linas Kleiza (right knee) missed his fourth straight game. ... Former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas and former Raptors guard Muggsy Bogues attended the game.

 

[fastbreak]

Nuggets beat struggling Lakers 112-105



LOS ANGELES (AP) Although the Los Angeles Lakers have inspired plenty of strong emotions during their title-laden history, the Denver Nuggets felt something that's been rare in recent decades.

Pity.

Ty Lawson had 21 points and 10 assists, Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points and hit a big 3-pointer with 13.8 seconds left, and the Nuggets beat the struggling Lakers 112-105 Sunday night for their fifth win in seven games.

JaVale McGee scored 17 points for the Nuggets, who showed no signs of weariness after a home win over Utah one night earlier. Despite two last-minute 3-pointers by Kobe Bryant, Denver calmly maintained a lead throughout the fourth quarter of its second win in 12 days over the star-studded Lakers, who aren't exactly putting fear or fury into their opponents.

"They're struggling,'' Denver coach George Karl said. "It's a great win for us, but I'm not going to get overinflated.''

Staples Center was mostly silent while Los Angeles dropped to 15-18 with another mediocre performance featuring 18 turnovers, intermittent defense and little structured offense down the stretch. Bryant scored 29 points and Dwight Howard had 14 points and a career high-tying 26 rebounds for the Lakers, who have lost three straight and four of five.

"(We're) a good team, and it's getting better,'' Karl said. "I just don't want to get too crazy with it.''

Even when the Lakers did things right, they still went wrong. Bryant's 3-pointer with 36 seconds left cut Denver's lead to 105-102, and Howard emphatically blocked Andre Miller's layup attempt on the Nuggets' next possession - but the ball went straight to Gallinari, who immediately drained a 3-pointer with 13.8 seconds left.

Again, the Nuggets were almost apologetic for the pivotal play in just their fifth road win over the Lakers in 26 meetings.

"It was a lucky bounce,'' Gallinari said. "Dwight blocked the shot, and the ball came back to me, and Metta World Peace was right there, ready to block my shot. You don't have a lot of time to think, especially in that situation, so I had to release it very quick.''

The Nuggets hung on to their lead with big late baskets from Miller and Lawson, whose layup put Denver ahead by eight points with 1:18 to play. After Gallinari's big shot, Bryant hit another 3-pointer with 11.2 seconds left, but Miller hit two free throws before Bryant missed another desperate 3-point try.

The Lakers' locker room was as silent as their arena after their eighth home loss of the still-young season.

"I think because of our record, the pressure is building, but so be it,'' Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We have to overcome it, and we can. We just can't let teams start out with 34 points in the first quarter. It just can't happen. We're starting to dig out every game, and somehow we have to try to figure out why that's happening.''

Howard had an impressive game on the boards despite an injured right shoulder, matching his career high in rebounds in the final minutes. But he took just seven shots - making all of them except for a 3-point attempt - and went 2 for 6 on the free-throw line.

After the game, the Lakers said Howard aggravated his shoulder injury. He will have an MRI exam on Monday before the Lakers leave for a quick two-game trip to Texas, and Howard didn't know whether he'll play Tuesday at Houston.

"Everything is against us right now, but we have to keep our heads and stay together,'' Howard said. "It is tough out there, because everybody expects us to win, but we have to stick together.''

Steve Nash had 10 points and 13 assists for the Lakers, while Pau Gasol had 11 points and five rebounds before leaving with a bloody nose with 1:05 to play in a collision with McGee.

Andre Iguodala had 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Nuggets, and Miller finished with 12 points and 10 assists.

"I think teams are still getting up to play them,'' Iguodala said. "I mean, every time we play the Lakers, I want to play well and we want to play well. You've just got to go play with confidence and be mentally ready.''

When Gasol had to leave the game with a bloody nose, Denver coach George Karl chose seldom-used Earl Clark off the Lakers' bench to shoot Gasol's free throws with 1:05 to play. Clark coolly made both shots to trim the Nuggets' lead to 105-99, kick-starting the Lakers' late comeback attempt.

Antawn Jamison, who scored 33 points against the Nuggets in their previous visit to Staples Center on Nov. 20, got just four minutes of playing time, scoring two points.

NOTES: Lakers G Chris Duhon returned after missing the past two games with back spasms. F Jordan Hill also played with a sprained right ankle. ... Denver F Kenneth Faried had six points and six rebounds while playing in back-to-back games despite an illness that caused him to miss Saturday's shootaround. ... Nash is five assists shy of the 10,000th of his career. The two-time MVP had double-digit assists for the fourth straight game. ... Howard had his third 20-rebound game of the season. He began the day as the NBA's third-leading rebounder this season.