Nuggets’ Quickness Sinks the Grizzlies

The Denver Nuggets found another way to win Monday night, using small-ball to beat the Memphis Grizzlies and match their victory total of last season.

Voshon Lenard scored 24 points and Andre Miller had 21 points and 10 assists to spark the Nuggets to a 106-99 win at Denver. It was their 17th victory this season.

Denver deployed a three-guard lineup, with shooting guard Lenard starting at forward, power forward Nene opening at center because of a lower back injury to Marcus Camby, and two point guards.

It resulted in a quicker and better-shooting lineup, although the Nuggets were outrebounded.

“It was effective,” Coach Jeff Bzdelik said. “They all can handle the ball, and they all can shoot it. And they all can make the plays. I like the shot distribution from it.”

Nene had 16 points and Carmelo Anthony had 15, and the Nuggets shot 51% to the Grizzlies’ 47%.

Forward Pau Gasol led the Grizzlies with 24 points and 14 rebounds.

The Nuggets are 17-11. They finished 17-65 last season.

Philadelphia 95, Orlando 73 -- Glenn Robinson scored a season-high 22 points, and Eric Snow had 14 points and 14 assists to lead the 76ers at Philadelphia.

Robinson bounced back from a two-for-10 shooting, four-point game a day earlier against Boston.

Kyle Korver had 16 points for the 76ers, who pulled away with a 22-3 run in the fourth quarter.

Allen Iverson sat out his fifth consecutive game because of a swollen right knee.

Utah 92, Chicago 80 -- Andrei Kirilenko had 26 points and a career-high 16 rebounds at Chicago to lead the Jazz to its 11th victory in the last 12 meetings with the Bulls.

Matt Harpring also had a double-double, finishing with 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Jazz, which wrapped up a six-game trip.

Trailing by 20 points early in the third quarter, the Bulls rallied to cut Utah’s lead to 79-72 on a fastbreak dunk by Corie Blount with 3:46 to play.

But they couldn’t get any closer, and were forced to foul the Jazz down the stretch.

Chicago has lost three in a row and seven of its last nine.