NBA – New-look Nuggets go on a rampage against Bobcats

DENVER (NBA) - The Denver Nuggets won for the fourth time in five games since dealing Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to New York with a 120-80 blowout of the visiting Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.

The Nuggets, who have depth on their roster now with Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov coming to Denver in the trade with the Knicks, had seven players reach double figures led by Chandler’s 16.

George Karl, the Denver coach, doesn't sound like a man who is missing his former players.

"I know the other team doesn't know how we're going to score because I don't know how we're going to score," he said.

"But we do score.

“Nice problem."

One of the beneficiaries of the trade has been Denver's Ty Lawson, who had 14 points and 10 assists.

"Were playing together and we're winning right now," Lawson said.

"That's fun for everybody. There's no sticky hands out there.

“We're passing the ball, getting everybody involved. It feels a lot better when everybody is happy.

"The bigs are happy. The wings are happy.

“Everybody is touching the ball, and that's the way basketball should be played."

New York didn't do too badly at home against the New Orleans Hornets.

Anthony had 22 points as the Knicks bounced back from their defeat at Orlando to win 107-88.

Billups sat out the game after bruising his left quadriceps in a collision with Magic center Dwight Howard.

Dominican Republic big man Al Horford equaled a career-high with 31 points and led the Atlanta Hawks past the Chicago Bulls, 83-80.

George Hill, filling in for injured point guard Tony Parker of France, had 22 points to fire the San Antonio Spurs past the Cavaliers in Cleveland, 109-99.

Western Conference leaders San Antonio improved to an NBA-best 50-11.

Boston, who top the Eastern Conference, prevailed 115-103 at home over Phoenix with Kevin Garnett scoring 28 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.

New signing Troy Murphy had one points and two rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench for the Celtics.

The return of Rip Hamilton to the Detroit Pistons line-up hasn't led to a victory yet in two tries.

John Kuester's team fell at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 116-105, with Team USA's Kevin Love scoring 20 points and bringing down 20 boards for the visitors.

Hamilton had 11 points for the Pistons.

Team USA's Russell Westbrook, who is starting at point guard for Oklahoma City, had 21 points and nine assists in a 113-89 blowout of the visiting Indiana Pacers.

In other games, Golden State prevailed 106-102 at Washington, Portland edged Sacramento 107-102 and Houston fell 106-103 at the Los Angeles Clippers.

In the Clippers' win, Team USA's Eric Gordon returned from a month-long absence with a wrist injury and sparked the team with 24 points.

FIBA