DENVER: Reserve J.R. Smith scored a season-high 41 points, hitting 10 3-pointers, to power the Denver Nuggets to a 124-104 win over the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA on Wednesday.
Carmelo Anthony added 24 points for Denver, which won its sixth in a row at home to maintain a two-game lead in the Northwest Division.
The victory was the first for Denver this season in six games missed by Chauncey Billups.
Jamal Crawford scored 24 points for Atlanta, which fell 1-1/2 games behind Southeast Division leader Orlando.
Magic 102, Rockets 97: In Orlando, Florida, Orlando retained its lead in the Southeast Division with a comfortable win over Houston.
Dwight Howard had 20 rebounds and 13 points, outmuscling a Rockets team lacking size and strength in the middle.
Jameer Nelson added 15 points in his first start for five weeks, helping the Magic win for the fifth time in six games ahead of a big Christmas Day match against the Boston Celtics.
Cavaliers 117, Kings 104, OT: In Sacramento, California, Cleveland held Sacramento scoreless in overtime to pick up a hard-fought win.
LeBron James had 34 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. He had 26 points in the first half but it was his defense in the final quarter and overtime that proved the difference, as the Kings missed all seven shots and turned the ball over twice in the extra period.
Trail Blazers 98, Spurs 94: In San Antonio, Jerryd Bayless scored a career-high 31 points in his first start for injured All-Star Brandon Roy, leading hobbled Portland over San Antonio.
Portland played without Roy and center Joel Przybilla, but still posted a third straight win.
Thunder 117, Suns 113: In Phoenix, Kevin Durant scored 38 points, including a key jumper from behind the key with 14 seconds left, as Oklahoma City ended its nine-game losing streak to Phoenix.
Durant, who scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, gave Oklahoma City a 115-111 lead with his final field goal.
Heat 80, Jazz 70: In Miami, the hosts won in a game where both sides had their lowest points total of the season.
Dwyane Wade scored 29 points and Udonis Haslem added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who improved to 11-1 against Utah since the start of the 2004-05 season.
Raptors 94, Pistons 64: In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Toronto held undermanned Detroit to its equal lowest score in franchise history.
Andrea Bargnani scored 21 points, while Hedo Turkoglu added 11 points and a season-best 11 assists.
Wizards 109, Bucks 97: In Milwaukee, Antawn Jamison had 25 points and 10 rebounds in Washington’s win over Milwaukee.
Earl Boykins scored 12 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter for the Wizards.
Michael Redd scored a season-high 32 points for the Bucks, who scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter, taking an 84-81 lead, before the Wizards responded with a 9-0 run.
Hornets 108, Warriors 102: In New Orleans, Golden State slumped to its seventh straight loss, beaten by New Orleans.
Chris Paul scored 20 points and Emeka Okafor had 10 points and 14 rebounds for New Orleans, which trailed late in the third quarter before surging ahead for good with a 13-2 run.
Timberwolves 103, Nets 99: In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Minnesota got a favorable video review in the final minute, helping it beat New Jersey in a meeting of the NBA’s worst teams.
Al Jefferson scored a season-high 27 points and Jonny Flynn added 22 points for Minnesota, which sent the Nets to their eighth straight loss.
The key moment came with 26 seconds left when the officials reversed a ruling that said the ball went out of bounds off the leg of Wolves’ Corey Brewer. Brewer was fouled on the ensuing inbound play and hit two free throws to give Minnesota a 101-97 lead.
Devin Harris led New Jersey with 23 points.
