Nuggets Over Timberwolves 116-105

DENVER(AP) Carmelo Anthony had an easier time
matching the NBA record for points in a quarter than he did trying to
figure it out.Anthony matched George Gervin's NBA record with 33
points in the third and finished with a season-high 45 points in the
Denver Nuggets' 116-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on
Wednesday night."I've never been a part of a quarter like that
before,'' Anthony said. "I just felt that good. I can't explain it. My
3-ball was going in, driving to the basket, getting fouled. Just the
complete game tonight.''Gervin scored 33 points for San Antonio
in the second quarter against New Orleans on April 9, 1978. Anthony
broke the franchise record of 32 set by David Thompson against Detroit,
also on April 9, 1978.Chauncey Billups added 24 points in
Denver's eighth straight win over Minnesota. After the game, he was
still in awe of Anthony's performance."I've played against some
great ones and played with some great ones,'' said Billups, whose team
trailed by 16 in the first half. "That's the best I've ever seen in a
12-minute span. He was awesome. He got us back in the game, got us a
nice lead. Single-handedly put us on his back tonight and did what a
lot of great players do.''Anthony has struggled with his shot,
in part because of a sore right elbow. He said he banged it twice in
the first half, but the pain didn't bother him in the third."I
was fighting through the pain. It was all good, though,'' he said.
"Once my 3-ball was going, I knew I'd be in pretty good shape.''Al
Jefferson had 26 points and 12 rebounds, and Randy Foye also scored 26
points for Minnesota, which has lost seven straight games and two in a
row since Kevin McHale took over as head coach on Monday.Anthony,
who had nine points at halftime, took over the game in the third
quarter, scoring 26 straight points for the Nuggets at one point. His
steal and dunk sparked the Nuggets' rally from a 12-point halftime
deficit, and he pumped his fist after hitting a 3-pointer that tied it
at 60."He got rolling. He put a show on in that third quarter,'' McHale said.Anthony,
who also had a team-high 11 rebounds, wasn't done. His putback layup
gave Denver its first lead since midway through the first quarter, and
he followed that with a 3-pointer and a fast-break dunk to make it
68-62 with 4:35 left in the third."He was taking a lot of his
shots from the outside, and those are the ones we wanted him to take,''
Minnesota forward Ryan Gomes said. "But tonight was a night where they
were all going in.''He hit two 3-pointers to extend Denver's
lead to 82-76, and he finished the quarter with a driving layup with
1.8 seconds left to give the Nuggets an 84-78 lead."Pretty
incredible explosion,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. "We needed it,
too. It was a game we needed someone to step forward, and it was a
pretty good show.''Minnesota didn't go away quietly. Foye and
Jefferson made back-to-back baskets to cut Denver's lead to 94-92 with
6:47 left, but J.R. Smith's three-point play and a layup by Anthony
made it 101-92. Billups and Anthony Carter hit consecutive 3-pointers
to push the lead to 10 with 3:38 left. Minnesota got no closer then
eight the rest of the way.Anthony scored only three points in
the fourth quarter but left to a standing ovation with 52.7 seconds
left in the game and Denver ahead by 11.Anthony's career high is
49 set against Washington last February. He said Billups was urging him
to go for 50 points in the fourth."Chauncey kept saying, 'Go get it! Go get it!''' Anthony said. "I've been looking for a game like this.''Notes:
Denver's Kenyon Martin missed his second straight game and third
overall because of a sprained left wrist. Renaldo Balkman started in
his place. ... Denver's eight-game winning streak against Minnesota is
its longest current streak against any NBA team. ... The Nuggets
assigned G Sonny Weems and C Cheikh Samb to the Colorado 14ers of the
NBDL.