Recap: New Jersey vs. Denver

Sports Network | November 5, 2009

East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Rookie Ty Lawson scored a game-high 23 points and Carmelo Anthony donated 22, as the Denver Nuggets cruised to an easy 122-94 win over the New Jersey Nets at the IZOD Center.

Kenyon Martin went for 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Nene added 16 points and nine boards for Denver, which improved to a perfect 5-0 this season. It is the Nuggets best start since the 1985-86 squad won its first six contests. Arron Afflalo logged 15 points.

Chris Douglas-Roberts had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Nets, who dropped to 0-5. It is their worst start since the 1996-97 squad under head coach John Calipari lost as many to begin a campaign. Eduardo Najera and Brook Lopez registered 14 and 12 points, respectively, for New Jersey.

"It was a second-half game," Douglas-Roberts said. "They turned it up, they went on runs and we didn't respond. It's as simple as that."

The Nets held a slim 23-22 advantage after the opening quarter and things remained close in the second with both teams exchanging the lead. Nene's jumper with six seconds left in the half drew the Nuggets to within 51-50 at the intermission.

The Nuggets began the third with an 11-3 burst with Chauncey Billups accounting for the first seven of the quarter. After a Nene dunk, Denver held a 61-53 edge. The visitors had a commanding 94-77 margin after three quarters.

"The first half, we couldn't really get it going," Billups said. "There's not many times that (Anthony) and myself are off at the same time. Our bench came in and played great."

New Jersey was unable to mount any sort of significant run in the fourth as the Nuggets cruised to the easy 122-94 win.

Nets forward Yi Jianlian (knee) is out indefinitely...Denver and New Jersey split a pair of meetings a year ago, with each team winning on its home court. Despite the loss, the Nets are 10-6 in the past 16 matchups with the Nuggets.