Lakers win despite Iverson’s 51 points

DENVER -- The Los Angeles Lakers' team effort trumped Allen Iverson's big night.

Iverson scored a season-high 51 points, but the Lakers had three players, led by Kobe Bryant's 25, score 20-plus points in a 111-107 win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.

Vladimir Radmanovic had 21 points and Derek Fisher scored 20 for the Lakers. Carmelo Anthony had 26 points and eight rebounds, and Marcus Camby had 20 rebounds for the Nuggets.

"We absorbed a lot of points from Iverson," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "He got our whole team in foul trouble."

Iverson scored 49 points through the first three quarters but was held to a just a layup in the fourth. The Lakers clamped down on the 6-foot guard, forcing the ball out of his hands. The strategy worked. Iverson took only four shots in the last 12 minutes.

Anthony was 4-for-10 from the field in the fourth quarter, and the rest of the team shot 3-for-9.

• Spurs 97, Mavericks 95 -- At San Antonio, Manu Ginobili scored a season-high 37 points to help San Antonio overcome the absence of Tim Duncan to beat Dallas.

Tony Parker added 23 points for the Spurs, who lost almost all of an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter.

• Suns 136, Raptors 123 -- At Toronto, Leandro Barbosa scored 35 points, Steve Nash had a season-high 18 assists and Phoenix set a season high in points, beating Toronto.

Raptors forward Chris Bosh missed his fourth consecutive game with a strained groin, and forward Andrea Bargnani sat out for the second straight game with a hyperextended left knee.

• Knicks 100, Nets 93 -- At East Rutherford, N.J., Jamal Crawford had 29 points and Zach Randolph scored 25 as New York overcame the absence of two starters to beat New Jersey.

Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury (father's death) and center Eddy Curry (sprained left ankle) were unavailable.

Nets star guard Jason Kidd missed the game because of a migraine.

• Wizards 105, Cavaliers 86 -- At Washington, Caron Butler had 27 points to lead Washington past Cleveland.

The Cavaliers have lost four straight without LeBron James, sidelined with a sprained left index finger, and five in a row overall.

• Rockets 105, Grizzlies 92 -- At Houston, Tracy McGrady had his third career triple-double and Yao Ming had 24 points and 13 rebounds to help Houston beat Memphis.

McGrady collected 17 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.

• Pistons 91, Hornets 76 -- At New Orleans, Richard Hamilton scored 21 points to help Detroit beat New Orleans for its fifth straight victory.

• Celtics 113, 76ers 103 -- At Philadelphia, Paul Pierce had 19 points and 12 assists, Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and Boston broke open a surprisingly tight game in the fourth quarter to beat Philadelphia.

• Warriors 120, Bucks 90 -- At Oakland, Calif., Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson scored 20 points apiece as Golden State pounded Milwaukee.

• Bulls 91, Bobcats 82 -- At Charlotte, N.C., Luol Deng scored 30 points and Chicago dominated the fourth quarter to send Charlotte to its seventh straight loss.

• SuperSonics 95, Clippers 88 -- At Seattle, rookie Kevin Durant led five SuperSonics players in double figures with 18 points as Seattle extended Los Angeles' losing streak to seven games.