Denver Damages Minnesota’s Hopes

The Denver Nuggets dealt a serious blow to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoff hopes with a 107-104 victory Friday night at Minneapolis.

Minnesota, which finished with the best record in the Western Conference last season and eliminated Denver in a first-round playoff series, fell 4 1/2 games behind seventh-place Denver and 3 1/2 behind eighth-place Memphis in the race for the final playoff spot in the West.

Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points, and Kenyon Martin had 24 for the Nuggets, who improved to 27-6 under George Karl and won for the 20th time in their last 22 games.

Kevin Garnett had 26 points and 16 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who had won seven of their previous eight games.

Sacramento 119, Portland 115 -- Peja Stojakovic scored 35 points at Portland to help the Kings clinch their seventh consecutive playoff appearance. The Kings controlled their own destiny after Minnesota lost to Denver.

Golden State 127, Phoenix 119 -- The Warriors matched their franchise record with 18 three-point baskets at Oakland in extending their winning streak to eight games. It’s their longest winning streak since 1994. The Suns’ six-game winning streak ended despite Amare Stoudemire’s 44 points and 16 rebounds.

Memphis 97, Miami 81 -- The Grizzlies dominated play inside at Memphis, Tenn., against a Heat team playing without Shaquille O’Neal and moved closer to clinching a spot in the playoffs. O’Neal sat out his second game in a row because of a stomach ailment.

Philadelphia 103, Cleveland 98 -- Allen Iverson’s career high in assists helped the 76ers move past the Cavaliers into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Iverson had 23 points and 16 assists at Philadelphia to help the 76ers sweep the season series against the Cavaliers.

Detroit 114, Orlando 102 -- The Pistons clinched the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 playoff seeding by beating the Magic at Orlando, Fla. The Pistons, winners of five in a row, also closed in on their third Central Division title in four years, reducing their magic number to three.

Chicago 102, New York 94 -- Stephon Marbury had 29 points for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, but they lost their ninth in a row and were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs during halftime when the 76ers defeated the Cavaliers.

Indiana 93, Washington 83 -- At Indianapolis, the Pacers won their season-high sixth in a row and moved into a tie with the Wizards for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Both teams are two games behind fourth-place Chicago.

Milwaukee 93, Charlotte 75 -- The Bobcats, losers of seven in a row, are the only team the Bucks didn’t lose to this season. They took an 11-point lead in the opening minutes at Charlotte but trailed, 49-33, at halftime.

Utah 98, New Orleans 87 -- Matt Harpring scored 10 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter at New Orleans, including eight in a row to key a 10-0 run to lead the Jazz past the Hornets.

Toronto 109, Atlanta 101 -- Jalen Rose scored 30 points at Toronto to help the Raptors hand the Hawks their 14th loss in a row. Atlanta’s Tyronn Lue forced overtime when he made two free throws with 11.4 seconds left.