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Ty Lawson steps up in Nuggets win over Pistons

The Denver Nuggets have watched this scenario play out a few times already this season – just from the opposite viewpoint.

Ty Lawson had 26 points, seven assists and five rebounds to lead Denver to a 101-94 win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.

Corey Brewer added 15 points and Andre Iguodala had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who rallied from a slow start in which they trailed by as many as 17 in the first quarter. JaVale McGee also had 12 points for Denver.

”We’ve had about four or five close games and didn’t win,” Lawson said. ”We’ve lost a bunch of times when teams came back on us when we were up 17 or 18 points.” …

Brandon Knight had 20 points and five assists for the Pistons. Jason Maxiell added 18 points, six blocks and six rebounds, and Rodney Stuckey scored 17 points.

”We got off to a great start. You’re not going to win a game 150-14,” Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said. ”I think the key is, when they made their run, even the last four minutes of the first quarter, the key is this: a team’s going to make a run. It’s the mistakes we made and how they got them. With that, the mistakes, they multiplied, they came in succession so they become a little bit deflating.”

— Reported by Paul Harris of the Associated Press

Clippers beat Bulls for 7th straight win

Chris Paul liked the way the Los Angeles Clippers grinded out an ugly win when they were challenged.

Blake Griffin had 22 points and 10 rebounds to help Los Angeles beat the Chicago Bulls 94-89 on Tuesday night for its seventh straight victory, the team’s longest winning streak in two decades.

Marco Belinelli hit a 3-pointer with less than a minute left to cut Chicago’s deficit to 89-87, but Paul answered with a floater in the lane, then iced it with three free throws down the stretch as Los Angeles snapped the Bulls’ season-high three-game winning streak.

Paul finished with 18 points and four assists, below the 20 and 10 he averaged in his first dozen games against Chicago but enough for the Clippers to sweep the season series for the first time since 2009-10…

The Clippers (15-6) are on their longest winning streak since an eight-game run during the 1991-92 season. They have won 10 of 12 at the United Center.

Carlos Boozer scored 24 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who had won five of six overall…

Griffin had 26 points and 10 rebounds in his team’s 101-80 win over Chicago on Nov. 17 in Los Angeles.

Joakim Noah finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. It marked the first time the Bulls have lost when both Noah and Boozer have double-doubles (8-1).

Luol Deng was held to just eight points, his lowest output since a seven-point performance in Chicago’s season opener.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Melo scores 45, Knicks beat Nets in Brooklyn

Now, this Knicks-Nets rivalry is really on.

If it hadn’t started when the Nets left New Jersey and set up shop in the Knicks’ city, it surely arrived when Jason Kidd delivered the tiebreaking 3-pointer Tuesday night, making himself an enemy of his former franchise.

”I hate him,” Nets guard Deron Williams said.

Williams was kidding, the point guards are friends. But Nets fans who watched Kidd ask out of the organization and Carmelo Anthony refuse to come could easily work up more dislike of the Knicks after watching those two Tuesday.

Anthony scored a season-high 45 points, Kidd made the tiebreaking shot with 24 seconds left, and the Knicks rallied from an early 17-point hole to beat Brooklyn 100-97.

Kidd finished with 18 points against his former team, who used to dominate the Knicks when he played in New Jersey. He pumped his fist afterward in what he said was as much emotion as he shows, though denied taking any special pleasure in beating the Nets…

Andray Blatche scored 23 points in place of Brook Lopez, who missed his sixth straight game with a sprained right foot. Williams added 18 points and 10 assists, and Reggie Evans grabbed 18 rebounds, but the Nets lost their fifth straight.

Gerald Wallace scored 17 points, but both he and Williams missed potential tying 3-pointers on the last possession after Kidd broke a 97-all tie with his 3-pointer from the left side while being fouled by Jerry Stackhouse.

Kidd missed the free throw in an otherwise terrific effort for the 39-year-old point guard who helped carry the Knicks while fellow point guard Raymond Felton was struggling through a 3-for-12 night. Kidd had six rebounds and six assists, playing 38 minutes.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Kyrie Irving returns, Cavs beat Lakers

There had to be a low point. The Los Angeles Lakers can only hope they’ve reached it.

This chaotic season has gotten worse.

Kyrie Irving scored 28 points in his return after missing 11 games with a broken finger, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-94 win over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, who look nothing like a team projected to win an NBA title – or anything else.

”This is one of the most challenging stretches of my 17 years, and the most baffling, too,” a puzzled Bryant said after the Lakers lost for the eighth time in 11 games. ”We have the talent and personnel to do it, but we’re not, and it’s baffling. It’s extremely frustrating.

”It doesn’t make any sense. We’re still finding ways to lose games.”

Irving added 11 assists in 39 minutes and showed off his dizzying array of moves as the Cavs, who came in with just four wins, ended a five-game losing streak.

Bryant scored 42 points and Dwight Howard had 19 points and 20 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Lakers, who were still missing Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, from opening a four-game road trip with a with a loss that could sting for a while…

C.J. Miles scored 28 in his first start this season, Anderson Varejao had 20 and Alonzo Gee 17 for the Cavs…

”I’m very upset,” Bryant said. ”When things get hard, you should get more determined, not shake your heads. It just seems when it rains it pours. It’s like this cloud is following us around at all times. I’m one of the fastest guys on the team – and I’m like 50. What does that tell you?”

— Reported by Tom Withers of the Associated Press

Stephen Curry puts on show in Charlotte

Unlike his previous two trips to Charlotte, Stephen Curry said he didn’t have any butterflies as he stepped on the court Monday night.

Call it veteran experience – or maybe it’s just supreme confidence given the way he’s playing right now.

Curry put on quite a show for his hometown fans, finishing with 27 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to lead the surging Golden State Warriors to a 104-96 win over the struggling Charlotte Bobcats.

Curry, who grew up in Charlotte and made a name for himself when led nearby Davidson College to the brink of the Final Four in 2008, shot 10 of 22 from the field and hit four 3-pointers.

It was his eighth straight 20-point game, a career best, and he pushed his season scoring average to 20.0 per game…

David Lee continued his torrid pace with 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Warriors (14-7), who have won seven of their past eight games and improved to 4-0 on their current seven-game Eastern trip…

Carl Landry added 16 points and Jarrett Jack had 12 points and six assists for Golden State.

Kemba Walker scored 24 points and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 17 to lead the Bobcats, who’ve dropped eight straight after starting the season 7-5.

— Reported by Steve Reed of the Associated Press

Mavs continue to beat Kings in Dallas

Dallas relied on defense to build a massive lead and extend its recent home dominance against Sacramento.

O.J. Mayo scored 19 points and the Mavericks took control with a 31-3 run in the first half to win their 17th straight regular-season home game against Sacramento with a 119-96 victory over the Kings on Monday night.

The Mavericks held the Kings without a field goal during the game-turning run. Sacramento missed 12 straight shots and committed nine turnovers in a span of nearly 11 minutes…

Dallas (11-10) picked up its third win a row to go over .500 for the first time since Nov. 21…

Francisco Garcia, who was 7 of 12 from 3-point range, and DeMarcus Cousins scored 25 points apiece for the Kings, who haven’t won in Dallas during the regular season since Feb. 27, 2003. Jason Thompson added 11 points and 12 rebounds…

Dallas starting forward Shawn Marion missed his second straight game with a strained right groin.

Chris Kaman, playing 21 minutes on a sprained left ankle which Carlisle described as ”a glowing purple” before the game, scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half and reserve Darren Collison added 15 points for the Mavericks.

— Reported by David Jimenez of the Associated Press

Blazers shoot 0-of-20 from 3-point range, yet still beat Raptors

Injuries, an ejection and a dubious record.

The Portland Trail Blazers’ 92-74 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night had a little bit of everything.

Both sides were beset by injuries, with Portland missing starters Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum, and Toronto losing starters Andrea Bargnani and Kyle Lowry during the game.

Then Toronto’s Amir Johnson punctuated his ejection from the game by throwing his mouthpiece at the official who tossed him.

And finally, the Blazers went 0 for 20 from 3-point range, a new NBA record for futility.

”I don’t want to break records like that,” said Portland star LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 30 points and 12 rebounds.

J.J. Hickson added 16 points and 11 boards for the Blazers, who led by as many as 18 points in the second half. DeMar DeRozan had 20 points for the Raptors, who have dropped eight straight games against Portland…

The Raptors were hurt late in the first quarter when Bargnani went to the locker room after falling awkwardly on a dunk. The Raptors said later that X-rays on his elbow were negative, but he did not return…

The Raptors lost Johnson when he was ejected with 5:01 left in the third quarter. He had words with referee David Jones while trying to take the ball from him following a Portland free throw. After Johnson was ejected, he threw his mouthpiece at Jones and fellow players had to restrain him before he was escorted from the floor.

— Reported by Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press

Lakers lose to Jazz in Los Angeles

The Lakers still aren’t getting it together under new coach Mike D’Antoni, and the Utah Jazz exposed them again.

Paul Millsap scored 24 points and Mo Williams added 22 in Utah’s third straight victory, 117-110 on Sunday night.

”They did it to themselves,” Millsap said of the 9-12 Lakers. ”Our defense was pretty good, but they had no ball movement and that made it easier on us just to try to load up, keep them out of the paint and let them fire up some 3s.”

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 34 points, making 12 of 14 free throws, as they fell to 4-7 in their last 11 games since D’Antoni took over from the fired Mike Brown…

Al Jefferson and reserves Gordon Hayward and Enes Kanter added 14 points each for the Jazz, who improved to 4-9 on the road in ending a two-game skid away from home…

Bryant, who shot 9 of 24 while playing 43 minutes, engineered one last charge. He had seven points in a 17-7 run that got the Lakers to 115-110 with 1:10 to play. But he missed two 3-pointers in the final 33 seconds…

Jordan Hill added a career-high 17 points and Jodie Meeks 16 off the Lakers’ bench.

— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press

Magic hand Suns 7th straight loss

A smooth rookie led the Orlando Magic to a successful end of a long road trip.

Andrew Nicholson scored nine of his career-high 19 points in the fourth quarter and the Magic pulled away to hand the Phoenix Suns their seventh loss in a row, 98-90 on Sunday night.

”I am going out there playing hard,” he said. ”They are just trusting me.”

The 6-foot-9 first-round draft pick from St. Bonaventure made 9 of 11 shots and grabbed nine rebounds, also the best of his young career…

J.J. Redick scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half for the Magic at the end of a 3-2 trip.

Shannon Brown scored 17 and Jared Dudley 15 for the Suns, who were without starting point guard Goran Dragic due to illness…

The Magic extended it to 57-48 with the first two baskets of the second half. The Suns scored the next 11 to go up 59-57 on Gortat’s turnaround 13-footer. The run eventually reached 19-4 with Brown leading the way. He scored 10 in the outburst, including a pair of 3s. The last one came over the outstretched arms of 7-foot Nikola Vucevic to put Phoenix up 67-61 with 4:16 left in the third.

— Reported by Bob Baum of the Associated Press

Melo returns with 34, Knicks beat Nuggets

Carmelo Anthony insists there is no grudge against the Denver Nuggets. He just didn’t want his old team – or anyone else – walking into his current home and leaving with a victory.

Anthony returned from a two-game absence with 34 points against his former team, and the New York Knicks beat the Nuggets 112-106 on Sunday night to remain the NBA’s lone unbeaten team at home.

Back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a cut on the middle finger of his left hand that required stitches, Anthony twice made baskets in the final 2:08 after Denver had pulled within four points…

Jason Kidd scored 17 points for the Knicks, who bounced back from their worst offensive performance of the season a night earlier in Chicago and improved to 8-0 at Madison Square Garden. Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith each had 15 points.

It’s the Knicks’ best start at home since beginning 9-0 in 1992-93.

Ty Lawson had 23 points and Danilo Gallinari had 21 points and nine rebounds against the team that drafted him and later dealt him in the package for Anthony in February 2011…

Knicks F Rasheed Wallace missed the game with a sore left foot. … Corey Brewer finished with 15 points after scoring 19 or more in three straight games, tying a career best.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press