NBA Roundup: The Hyperextended Heat

Notes from Tuesday's games in the National Basketball Association:

• In The Heat Of The Night. Sad days in Miami. The defending champs are 3-4 after a 112-105 loss to the Nuggets, as Carmelo Anthony scored 33 points and Denver twice converted four-point plays. And without Shaq in the game (hyperextended left knee), Denver outscored Miami 54-36 in the paint.

• We Think We've Located The Problem. Tuesday's quote of note comes from Mavericks' guard Devin Harris, who said of teammate Erick Dampier after the Mavs' 111-99 win over the Bulls, "When he's filling the lane and he's into the game, we're tough to beat. It makes everything so much easier when he's into it like that.'' Um, isn't there a clause somewhere in Dampier's $73 million contract that requires him to "be into" every game?

• Climbing Mt. Yao. Gregg Popovich benched his starters, and that ignited a 20-1 rally; the Spurs came back from a 19-point deficit to beat the Rockets 92-84. Tim Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds for San Antonio.

• Pistol Peja Leads New Orleans. Peja Stojakovic scored a career-high 42 points — including the first 20 points of the game for the Hornets, and 22 in the first quarter — to lead a 94-84 win over Charlotte in Oklahoma. Bobcats, you've been NOOCHed. By the way, we still think it seems goofy to see Adam Morrison in the NBA. It looks weird somehow.

• What Made Milwaukee Famous. Michael Redd scored 57 on Monday and lost (the Kobe Bryant strategy), so on Tuesday he scaled it down, scoring 30 as the Bucks beat the Hawks 103-101 to break a four-game losing streak. Redd's three-point play with 27 seconds remaining was the difference.