SCOREBOARD
Friday, Dec. 21
Denver at Portland (10 p.m. EST). The Blazers have won nine straight games.
STARS
Thursday
-Anthony Carter, Nuggets, hit a floater in the lane with 0.8 seconds left in double overtime to give Denver a 112-111 win over the Houston Rockets.
IN THE CLUTCH
Anthony Carter hit a floater in the lane with 0.8 seconds left in double overtime to give the Denver Nuggets a 112-111 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday. Carmelo Anthony had 37 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and Allen Iverson had 36 points and nine assists for Denver, which ended a two-game losing streak.
ADVANTAGE: LEBRON
LeBron James scored 33 points and shut out Kobe Bryant when the two superstars guarded each other in the final 2:23, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 94-90 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. James, the NBA’s leading scorer, added 10 rebounds and five assists. Bryant finished with 21 points, but missed two shots with James chasing him and the Lakers went 0-for-8 from the floor in the final 4 minutes.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Dwyane Wade scored 41 points in Miami’s 107-103 overtime loss to the New Jersey Nets on Thursday night.
SPEAKING
“I didn’t even ask. I just told Sasha (Pavlovic) to go somewhere else.” – LeBron James, on guarding Kobe Bryant in the final 2:33 of the Cavaliers 94-90 victory over the Lakers on Thursday night. Bryant finished with 21 points, but missed two shots with James chasing him and the Lakers went 0-for-8 from the floor in the final 4 minutes.