Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler ties Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant up as teammate guard Arron Afflalo looks onGus Ruelas/The Associated Press
Wilson Chandler scored 19 points and Ty Lawson had 18 points and 16 assists, helping the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 101-94 in overtime on Sunday night.
Arron Afflalo added 15 points for the Nuggets, who have won five of six following a 1-6 start that was capped by consecutive double-digit losses to Portland.
The Lakers, coming off a 140-106 drubbing at Dallas, began a four-game homestand with their seventh straight loss to the Nuggets, despite 27 points from Kobe Bryant. The NBA's No. 4 career scorer made only four of 14 shots after the third quarter and finished 10 for 24.
The losing streak against Denver matches the Lakers' longest against any club since an eight-game drought against Portland from Feb. 18, 1993, through Jan. 9, 1995. The franchise record for consecutive losses against one team is 19, against Boston from Nov. 6, 1957, through March 3, 1959.
Nuggets reserve Danilo Gallinari had 10 points, including a 3-pointer that gave Denver a 94-90 lead with 1:28 left in OT. Bryant responded with a short jumper 9 seconds later, but that was the Lakers' last basket in a game in which they finished at 37.1 per cent from the field and Denver 37.8.
The Nuggets missed 15 of 38 free throws and the Lakers missed nine of 34. Los Angeles has lost five games by seven points or fewer.
Carlos Boozer sat out because of a left shoulder strain and Ed Davis made his first start as a Laker at power forward. He had four points and five rebounds in 22 minutes before fouling out with 10:37 left in the game and the Los Angeles ahead 75-73.
Wesley Johnson posterized Gallinari with a soaring slam dunk after a fast-break feed from Jeremy Lin and completed the three-point play to give the Lakers an 85-82 lead with 3:15 left in the fourth quarter. But they didn't make another field goal until overtime, when Lin hit a short jumper to give them an 88-86 lead with 4 minutes to play.
The Nuggets led 41-39 at halftime despite Chandler, Afflalo and Kenneth Faried all going 2 for 7 from the field. Bryant was the only starter on either team shooting at least 50 per cent in the half, going 5 for 9 with 11 points.
The Nuggets, who made 10 or more 3-pointers in each of their previous four games, missed their first 11 attempts from behind the arc against a defence that surrendered 18 against the Mavericks on Friday night. Darrell Arthur ended Denver's long-range drought with 7:54 left in the half.
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GRIZZLIES 107, CLIPPERS 91
MEMPHIS – Marc Gasol had 30 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 107-91 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
Gasol was 13 of 18 from the field as six Grizzlies reached double figures. Courtney Lee added 13 points for Memphis, which maintained the league's best record (12-2).
Tony Allen had 12 points, while Beno Udrih and Quincy Pondexter had 11 points apiece off the Memphis bench. Zach Randolph had 10 points.
Chris Paul had 22 points, five assists and four steals for the Clippers, who had their two-game winning streak snapped. Jamal Crawford scored 19, and J.J. Redick finished with 15, going 3 of 6 from outside the arc.
Blake Griffin scored 12 points, but was 5 of 17 from the field.
HEAT 94, HORNETS 93
MIAMI – Luol Deng scored 26 points, Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers each added 20 and Miami held on in the final seconds to beat Charlotte and snap a three-game home slide.
Kemba Walker missed two potential go-ahead shots in the final half-minute for the Hornets, and Al Jefferson's tip-in try bounced off the rim as time expired as Charlotte dropped its fifth straight.
Chalmers had 10 assists for his second double-double of the season and Shabazz Napier scored 14 for the Heat.
Jefferson finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds for Charlotte, which got 17 points from Lance Stephenson and 16 from Walker. The Hornets led by as many as eight in the fourth, before Miami rallied.
Miami was without guard Dwyane Wade for the sixth straight game.
TRAIL BLAZERS 94, CELTICS 88
BOSTON – LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and 14 rebounds, reserve Chris Kaman scored 16 points and Portland extended its winning streak to seven games.
Damian Lillard added 12 points and five assists for Portland, which began a brief East swing. Nicolas Batum also had 12 points.
Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger had 19 points apiece for Boston, which dropped its fifth in six games. Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo each scored 13. Rondo added eight assists and six rebounds.
The game was tied at 72-all after three quarters before the Trail Blazers took charge with a 17-5 run to start the fourth. Wesley Matthews and Lillard each hit a 3-pointer just over a minute apart.
WARRIORS 91, THUNDER 86
OKLAHOMA CITY – Marreese Speights scored 28 points for Golden State, matching the second-highest scoring game of his career and his best total since 2009.
Klay Thompson scored 20 points and Stephen Curry added 15 for the Warriors (10-2), who won despite shooting a season-low 35.5 per cent from the field. Thompson and Curry, two of the top 10 scorers in the league, combined to make just 11 of 35 shots.
Reggie Jackson had 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and Anthony Morrow added 16 points and matched a career high with 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City. Serge Ibaka scored 16 points, but shot just 5 of 17 for the Thunder (3-13), who lost their sixth in a row.