Without Carmelo Anthony, one had to wonder how much of a chance the Denver Nuggets would have against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.

Plenty, if Chauncey Billups had his say.

The Nuggets defeated the Lakers 126-113.  The high-scoring affair saw both teams combine to place 12 players in double figures. 

Smith provided great bench support for Denver, socring 27 points on 17 field goal attempts.

But it was Billups who was on fire Friday night, connecting on 12 of 20 FGs – including 9 of 13 3-pointers for 39 points.  The former NBA champion also commanded the offense well, handing out eight assists.  Billups, who received big support off the bench from guard J.R. Smith (11-17 FG, 3-4 3-pointers, 27 pts.), was able to outduel All-Star Kobe Bryant (11-22 FG, 33 pts.). 

Denver’s Billups:

”You’ve always got to be confident. There’s a lot of people that can say it, but until you can do it, you’ve got to get that confidence from the right place. They’re the world champs. But we feel that we can compete with them.”

The Lakers led the contest at halftime 64-59, but the third quarter saw the visiting team outscore them 35-25 to take command.  Billups made good on 4 consecutive triples, putting Denver up 87-85.  Contributions from Smith and rookie point guard Ty Lawson helped them cushion their lead in the final quarter. 

The victory was very gratifying for the Nuggets from a variety of angles.  Denver and L.A. competed in a heated 6-game Western Conference Finals series last year, with L.A. advancing to (and eventually winning) the Finals.  The Nuggets were again without superstar Carmelo Anthony and his 30 points per game.  And finally, any win on the road – particularly against the NBA champs – is one to be savored.  This win brings the Nuggets record up to 12-12 on the road, however, this one could give them the confidence to compete night in and night out when they’re not at home.

Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith:

”It was huge, especially to win on their court. We’ve struggled a lot out here, so getting one here without Melo is big. And when we get him back, hopefully we can keep it rolling.”

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