Anthony, Iverson quite a pair in debut

Allen Iverson raced downcourt and floated an alley-oop lob that Carmelo Anthony shoved one-handed through the basket for a thunderous jam, one that seemed to scream to all their doubters, “Take that!”

“We just wanted to show the whole world we could play together,” Anthony said after the duo’s triumphant debut Monday night. “We know there’s a lot of doubt about that.”

Anthony, the NBA’s leading scorer, had 28 points in his return from a 15-game suspension for fighting, and Iverson, the league’s third-leading scorer, had 23 in the Nuggets’ 115-98 rout of the Memphis Grizzlies at Denver.

Their signature moment came with 6:39 left when Anthony soared for the alley-oop dunk that made it 103-82.

After the basket, Iverson held his hand to his ear as the crowd roared.

“I’m enjoying myself,” Iverson said. “I know it’s my 11th season, but this is a fresh start for me, and it feels like my first. I am having a great time, and I love my situation here.”

After receiving an ovation during introductions, Anthony took the microphone and thanked fans, teammates and owner Stan Kroenke for supporting him during his 36-day layoff for his role in the Dec. 16 brawl with New York.

“They play well together,” said Pau Gasol, who led Memphis with 23 points. “They had a chemistry from the first moment.”