MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Allen Iverson had 26 points and seven assists, while Carmelo Anthony finished with 23 points as the Denver Nuggets used a big second half to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-106 on Monday night.
J.R. Smith led the Nuggets, scoring 25 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, as Denver stretched the lead to as many as 22 in winning its third straight. Smith was 8-for-10 in the period, including seven outside the arc.
Rudy Gay led Memphis with 30 points, while Hakim Warrick finished with a season-high 29. Mike Miller added 19 and Javaris Crittenton 14.
Memphis led at halftime, but the Nuggets outscored the Grizzlies 37-22 in the third period to build their lead to 14. Memphis was unable to overcome the deficit, particularly after Smith scored 16 points, including 13 straight for Denver, by the midway point of the fourth for a 109-95 lead, matching Denver's biggest margin of the night at that point.
Memphis, which had won three of its previous four, had no answer for the Nuggets after halftime as Denver connected on 24 of 40 shots. The Nuggets already had built the lead in the third quarter, and then it was as if the Grizzlies couldn't find Smith. He had open looks outside the arc and helped Denver continue to extend the lead.
The Nuggets were getting to the rim in the first quarter on dunks by Kenyon Martin, who finished with 14 points, and assists by Iverson leading to inside baskets. Memphis didn't get back on defense several times, leading to easy scores as the Nuggets shot 55 percent early and held a 14-4 advantage in the paint.
But Memphis scored in a variety of ways from dunks by Gay to Warrick hitting jumpers from 15 to 20 feet. That allowed Memphis to erase the early Nuggets advantage, and lead by as many as nine in the second quarter. Full story
Nets 106, Knicks 91
NEW YORK -- Vince Carter scored 27 points, Richard Jefferson added 26 and the New Jersey Nets moved within one game of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
New Jersey beat its cross-Hudson rivals for the first time this season after three losses. Nenad Krstic added 22 points for the Nets, who are a half-game ahead of Indiana (29-41) and one game behind Atlanta (30-39) in the conference standings.
Jamal Crawford led the Knicks with 26 points.
Heat 78, Bucks 73
MIAMI -- Chris Quinn, filling in for an injured Jason Williams, scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Miami Heat past the Milwaukee Bucks. Quinn was a late insertion into the starting lineup for Williams, who'll be sidelined a week with a right thumb injury that required a hard cast.
It was the second time in six days the Heat defeated the Bucks, who fell to 6-28 on the road. The two victories against Milwaukee are the only ones Miami has in its last 13 games. The win also marked the first time the Heat defeated an opponent twice this season.
Michael Redd scored 24 points to lead the Bucks.
SuperSonics 97, Trail Blazers 84
SEATTLE -- Kevin Durant scored 23 points and the Seattle SuperSonics snapped their 11-game losing streak in what could be the final meeting of the I-5 rivalry.
With Sonics owner Clay Bennett pressing to move his team to Oklahoma City as early as next season, Monday night might have been the final time the longtime rivals -- only 180 miles apart -- faced off. The series started in 1970 and the Sonics hold a 98-94 lead.
Martell Webster led Portland with 22 points, but 15 came in the first quarter when the Seattle native hit four 3-pointers.
