INQUIRER Sports

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, United States?NBA scoring leader Carmelo Anthony netted 34 points and Chauncey Billups added 18 as the Denver Nuggets outlasted San Antonio 106-99 on Saturday in a NBA game.

The Nuggets improved to 15-5, continuing to set the pace in the Northwest division with the best start in team history. They trail only the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers among Western Conference squads.

Tony Parker scored 27 points, the Frenchman pouring in 15 of them in the fourth quarter, to lead the Spurs, who slid to 9-8. Tim Duncan added 26 points while Manu Ginobili had 14 points for San Antonio.

J.R. Smith added 17 points for the Nuggets, who trailed most of the game but surged ahead early in the fourth quarter and kept the Spurs at bay.

The Nuggets travel to Philadelphia on Monday for a meeting with former teammate Allen Iverson, back from a brief retirement with the club upon which he made his fame.