National Basketball Association

Clippers fend off Carmelo, Nuggets

Published Nov. 21, 2009 8:11 a.m. ET

foxsports

The first player off the Los Angeles Clippers' bench led them in scoring, something that doesn't happen with this club except when there are injuries - which is most of the time.

Forward Rasual Butler had 27 points, Al Thornton added 18, and the Clippers withstood an early scoring spree from Carmelo Anthony to beat the Denver Nuggets 106-99 on Friday night.

"We're so deep that anyone can lead us in scoring, and tonight was Rasual's night," teammate Baron Davis said. "He played with aggression, we played at a pace and a speed that was great for us, and it got him a lot of wide-open shots. If we continue to play like that, I think we're going to have different leading scorers every night."