NBA – Men-of-the-moment Billups, Anthony fire Knicks past Heat

NEW YORK (NBA) - Former Denver Nuggets Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony claimed their biggest win since being traded to the New York Knicks on Sunday in Miami.

Anthony had 29 points and nine rebounds and played outstanding defense on Heat star LeBron James late while Billups had 15 points and made a go-ahead three-ball with just over a minute to play in a 91-86 triumph.

Billups, a co-captain of Team USA last summer when they won the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship, is relishing the chance to be in the spotlight with the Knicks and there was no bigger game to play than against James and Miami.

"It's a big game for us," Billups said.

"There was a lot of hoopla around the game.

"We're not quite where we need to be at, yet. But it was a big game for us to win.

"If we can win a game in the 90s, that's gonna be great for us because everyone thinks we can only win when it it's 115, 110."

New York trailed by 15 points in the first half but battled back to win.

They are sixth in the Eastern Conference at 30-27.

The Knicks improved to 2-1 with Anthony and Billups.

Miami (43-17) fell a half-game behind first-place Boston.

Two Western Conference heavyweights were in action with the two-time defending NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers winning 90-87 at Oklahoma City and San Antonio prevailing over visiting Memphis, 95-88.

For the Lakers, who are now 42-19, Andrew Bynum poured in 16 points, corralled 10 rebounds and swatted five shots.

Kevin Durant and James Harden each missed potential game-tying three-pointers in the waning seconds for the Thunder (36-22).

San Antonio are an NBA-best 49-10 after a 95-88 win over Memphis.

Argentina's Manu Ginobili poured in 35 points for San Antonio, who lost France point guard Tony Parker to a calf injury in the second quarter.

Referee Tommy Nunez also got hurt and will not work any more games this season.

He had to leave the game in the first quarter after tearing knee ligaments.

Kevin Martin's 33 points carried the Houston Rockets past the Hornets in New Orleans, 91-89.

Phoenix forward Grant Hill rolled back the years with a 34-point, nine-rebound performance in a 110-108 victory at Indiana.

Philadelphia scraped a 95-91 victory at Cleveland, Minnesota won 126-123 at home over Golden State and Orlando won 100-86 at home over Charlotte.

Atlanta travelled to Portland and beat the Blazers, 90-83, and Dallas prevailed 114-96 at Toronto.

Dirk Nowitzki of Germany had 31 points and 13 rebounds for the Mavs.

FIBA