NBA: Melo scores 28 in Nuggets' win

DENVER (AP) - Arron Afflalo scored a career-high 31 points and Carmelo Anthony followed up one of his worst shooting performances with a 28-point effort, helping the Denver Nuggets snap a three-game skid with a 132-98 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

Anthony, the subject of trade talks all season, was greeted early by the crowd with a smattering of boos but quickly reversed the mood with his hustle and hanging jumpers. He also grabbed 10 rebounds.

That was a sharp contrast to Sunday night, when Anthony scored just eight points and drew jeers like he'd never heard before at Pepsi Center.

Ty Lawson scored 16 points to help the Nuggets avoid their first four-game losing streak in nearly four years. They're the only NBA team in that time that hasn't dropped four in a row.

Steve Nash hit his first four shots for Phoenix, but didn't make another and spent the fourth quarter on the bench. He finished with 15 points. Vince Carter also chipped in 15.

Denver native Chauncey Billups, who finished with seven assists, has been dragged into the most recent trade speculation, a proposed three-team deal involving Detroit and New Jersey and at least 13 players.

For that, Anthony said he felt remorseful since he knows how beloved Billups is in the Mile High City. The deal has picked up steam in recent days, but the chatter was quiet Tuesday.

Lakers 112, Cavaliers 57

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Lakers humiliated the Cleveland Cavaliers while sending them to their 11th straight loss, rolling to their best defensive performance in the shot clock era.

Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum each scored 15 points, while Pau Gasol had 13 points and 14 rebounds. Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown also scored 13 points for the defending NBA champion Lakers, who led the league's worst team by 32 points at halftime on their way to winning their fifth in a row.

Reserves Alonzo Gee scored 12 points and Ramon Sessions 10. Cleveland's point total was a record low by a Lakers opponent. The Cavs shot 30 percent, were outscored 52-28 in the paint and committed 19 turnovers in losing for the 21st time in their last 22 games. They fell to 8-30 overall and 3-18 on the road.

Wizards 136, Kings 133, OT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Nick Young scored a career-high 43 points, Kirk Hinrich had six in overtime and Washington survived a last-minute regulation meltdown to get the win.

The Wizards blew a six-point lead in the final 14 seconds of the fourth quarter, and nearly blew a five-point lead in the final half-minute of overtime. They finished the game without starters John Wall and Andray Blatche while earning a split against a fellow last-place team from across the country.

Young went 14 for 22 from the field, including 7 for 10 from 3-point range for the Wizards, who are 10-8 at home but 0-18 on the road. Six Washington players scored in double figures in the team's highest-scoring output of the season.

Beno Udrih and Francisco Garcia scored 26 points apiece for the Kings, who have lost 11 straight on the road and six in a row at the Verizon Center.

Spurs 107, Timberwolves 96

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Manu Ginobili had 19 points, including five technical free throws in a 10-second span of the third quarter, and the Spurs beat the Timberwolves for the 16th straight time.

Richard Jefferson scored 17 and Tony Parker had 12 points and 13 assists for San Antonio. Ginobili also had nine rebounds.

Kevin Love had 20 points and 20 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have lost five in a row and came unglued during referee Ken Mauer's five-technical binge in the third. Michael Beasley had just seven points on 3-for-11 shooting while playing on a sprained left ankle, and left late in the fourth quarter after aggravating the injury.

Darko Milicic, Corey Brewer and Love each got whistled for one technical and coach Kurt Rambis received two Ts and was ejected.

San Antonio has won three in a row and 17 of 20 to improve to an NBA-best 32-6.

Knicks 100, Trail Blazers 86

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Amare Stoudemire had 23 points and eight rebounds, Raymond Felton added 17 points and 14 assists, and New York picked up another road win.

Ronny Turiaf had a season-high 19 points and tied a season high with 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who improved to 12-8 on the road, surpassing their road win total from last season. Wilson Chandler added 17 points.

Stoudemire has scored at least 20 points in 22 straight games.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Blazers. Rudy Fernandez scored 12 of his 18 in the first half for Portland, while Andre Miller had 14 points and Nicolas Batum added 13.

Pacers 111, 76ers 103

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Danny Granger scored 27 points, Darren Collison added 21 points and 13 assists, and Indiana snapped a nine-game road losing streak.

Mike Dunleavy had 20 points for the Pacers, who had dropped three straight and 10 of 13 overall. Tyler Hansbrough finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Jrue Holiday led the Sixers with 19 points and Elton Brand added 18. Marreese Speights and Evan Turner each had 14.

Andre Iguodala returned to Philadelphia's starting lineup after missing the previous seven games with right Achilles' tendinitis, but was largely ineffective and didn't seem to have the same explosiveness to the basket. He went 0 for 7 from the field and finished with one point, seven assists and four rebounds.