Memphis, Tenn. – Carmelo Anthony scored 33 points, Nene added 27 and Allen Iverson had 25 to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 111-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.
Anthony, the NBA’s leading scorer at 30.5 points per game, helped the Nuggets snap a four-game losing streak and prevented the Grizzlies from winning back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Anthony’s two free throws with 3:18 to go gave the Nuggets a 105-103 lead, one they never lost in the closing minutes.
Memphis was led by Mike Miller and Pau Gasol, who scored 21 points apiece. Gasol’s 16-footer with 3:30 left allowed the Grizzlies to tie the game at 103.
Miller gave the Grizzlies their largest lead of the game midway through the third quarter, during a five-minute stretch in which he scored 13 points. Miller’s 3-pointer off an in-bounds play with 2:45 made it 77-71.
After Miller’s 3-pointer, Iverson answered with 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to keep the Grizzlies from adding to their six-point lead.
In the fourth quarter the Grizzlies led by as many as five (93-88) after the second of two straight 3-pointers by Chucky Atkins with 9:18 left.
But Nene and Iverson combined for the next 12 points for a 100-97 lead.
Memphis lost despite shooting 52.4 percent. Denver, which outrebounded Memphis, 45-39, shot 49.4 percent.
