NBA: Denver 110, Minnesota 87

MINNEAPOLIS, April 5 (UPI) -- Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points with eight rebounds and four assists Sunday to lead the Denver Nuggets' 110-87 rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It was the seventh straight victory for the Northwest Division leading Nuggets.

Denver gradually built upon its 27-20 advantage after the first period after erasing an early 15-9 deficit. A 3-pointer and layup by Linas Kleiza gave Denver its biggest lead at 96-64 with 9:22 remaining.

Chauncey Billups scored 17 with seven assists and Kleiza scored 14 with four rebounds. Nene scored 12 with seven rebounds, and J.R. Smith added 12 with five rebounds for the Nuggets, who last won eight in a row from April 1-13, 2007.

Sebastian Telfair's 18 points led Minnesota. Rodney Carney scored 16, while Shelden Williams had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Ryan Gomes scored 13, and Booby Brown added 12 points for the Timberwolves, who had snapped Utah's 15-game home winning streak Friday.