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Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony posted 31 points to pace the red-hot Denver Nuggets in a 122-112 final against Oklahoma City for their eighth consecutive win and ninth straight at the Pepsi Center. Blaine Gabbert Youth Jersey . Nene had 23 points and 10 rebounds while Chauncey Billups scored 18 and handed out nine assists. Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith came off the bench to score 17 and 14 points, respectively as the Nuggets moved one step closer to securing a division title and the Western Conferences No. 2 seed. Denver maintained a 2 1/2 game edge on Portland in the Northwest Division with just three games to play. Portland logged a 95-83 win against San Antonio earlier Wednesday. With the Spurs loss, the Nuggets moved 2 1/2 games clear of San Antonio and Houston for the second seed in the West. Kevin Durant equaled Anthonys effort with 31 and Jeff Green totaled 24 points, but the Thunder lost for the 11th time in 14 tries. "We still have to learn how to finish out games and make better decisions," said Durant. "I think that starts with me being a leader. We competed and made it a four-quarter game." Russell Westbrook notched 14 points and 11 assists while Nenad Krstic checked in with 17 points in defeat. The Nuggets erased a three-point halftime deficit and jumped in front on an Anthony jumper and Billups three-pointer early in the third. The lead continued to trade hands over the middle stages of the stanza and a pair of Durant free throws with 4 1/2 minutes to go saw the Thunder ahead 74-69. A three-point play by Anthony tied the game moments later and Billups scored nine straight points over the waning moments to help the hosts take an 89-84 lead into the final frame. "We just wanted to be strong, go to the hole, get tough and try to get fouled," Anthony said of turning things around in the second half. "The first quarter we got out in transition for some easy baskets and then we stopped doing that for the next two quarters." Two free throws from Green had Oklahoma City within one, 95-94, just shy of three minutes into the fourth but Kleiza responded with a three-pointer and dropped a layup through on the next series for a six-point edge. Kleiza then got to the line for two and drained another triple at the halfway point as Denvers lead grew to nine, 107-98. A 7-2 spurt a short time later allowed the hosts to take control for good. Anthony slammed for two and completed a three-point play to answer a Thabo Sefolosha deuce. A Nene dunk capped the stretch for a 114-102 margin with 4:13 remaining. Another Nene dunk saw the Nuggets holding a 10-point lead with 2:44 to go and the hosts maintained a healthy lead to the finish. Oklahoma City held a 29-27 edge following the opening quarter. Denver briefly grabbed the lead with a 9-2 spurt as Anthony Carter went for a pair of buckets and Kleiza capped the stretch with a layup for the 37-33 advantage three minutes in. The Thunder quickly regained the advantage, scoring nine straight points with DJ Whites three-point play providing a 46-39 edge before entering halftime up 56-53. Game Notes: The Nuggets played without forward Kenyon Martin for a third consecutive game. Martin suffered a rib injury in Thursdays win over Utah...Denver swept the season series from Oklahoma City...The Nuggets last earned eight straight wins April 1-13, 2007...Anthony also had five rebounds and as many assists...Durant had seven boards...Denver shot 53.8 percent from the floor to Oklahoma Citys 47.1. Ryan Mathews Womens Jersey . Thankfully the NFL had the foresight to schedule what has turned out to be a huge game for both clubs. While much of the focus is on the first NFL game in which sibling head coaches will face one another -- especially given the tradition of the holiday -- the focus for Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers will be a shot at wrapping up a playoff berth. Matt Hasselbeck Elite Jersey . Graham, who once coached Olympic athletes Tim Montgomery, Justin Gatlin and Marion Jones, was ordered to his sentence by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston. Those three athletes were later banned for performance-enhancing substances. The government was attempting to give Graham a 10-month prison term, but instead Illston gave Graham a sentence that wasnt as harsh as Jones. Robinson Cano Jersey . Last year, the Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver spent Grey Cup week in Montreal, watching the game at Olympic Stadium after being named the CFLs top rookie. Chipper Jones Jersey . [Agencies] LONDON: Stuck for Christmas gift ideas? Is your marriage or a friends going through a rocky patch? How about a divorce voucher? In an unusual take on the season of giving, a London law firm is offering Christmas gift vouchers for divorce advice. Josh Hamilton Jersey . But the one-time friends have become cold-as-ice rivals, and their on-ice feud has grown increasingly nasty. Last season, the Penguins Malkin ducked just in time to avoid a hard drive into the boards from the Capitals Ovechkin. Portland, OR (Sports Network) - Cameron Jones scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks to a 71-59 win over the Portland State Vikings in a Big Sky Conference clash at the Peter W. Stott Center. Gabe Rogers also added 16 points for the Lumberjacks (11-8, 3-4 Big Sky). PSU (10-9, 3-4) was paced by Charles Odum, who scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a losing effort. Melvin Jones also got invollved, netting 11 points for the Vikings. Hank Aaron Jersey. NAU took control of the contest in the first half, outdueling Portland in every aspect of the game on its way to a 34-18 lead at the break. The Lumberjacks kept the pressure on in the second stanza, cruising to a 12- point victory. Three-point shooting proved to be the difference in this contest, as the Lumberjacks outscored PSU 24-12 from long distance. ' ' '
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