Denver (39-20) won its second straight game Friday, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 90-79. The Northwest Division-leading Nuggets held the Lakers - one of the NBA's top scoring and shooting teams - to a season-low in points and field goal percentage (29.8).

"Tonight, we (played) as active and as intelligent of a defensive game as I think we've played all year long or maybe ever since I've been here," said Denver coach George Karl, whose team allowed an average of 114.8 points while dropping three of its previous four. "We challenged a lot of shots, it was a tremendously active defensive game."

J.R. Smith had the unenviable task of guarding Kobe Bryant, and held the reigning MVP to 2-of-9 shooting in the final 12 minutes as the Lakers scored just 16 points.

"I thought in the fourth quarter, that's by far the best defensive game I've ever seen (Smith) play," Karl said.

Smith added 22 points while Chris Andersen had 11 points, 12 rebounds and a career high-tying seven blocks after coming off the bench.

"All the five guys that were on the court, no matter if it was starters or the bench, I saw everybody locked in," said Chauncey Billups, who had 24 points and 11 assists in a 135-115 home win over Indiana on Jan. 5. "I saw everybody helping one another, everybody talking, people down in the defensive position the whole time."

The Nuggets, though, won't have to worry about Pacers leading scorer Danny Granger. The All-Star has missed the last five games with a partially torn tendon in his right foot, and he could be out for another two weeks.

Granger scored 36 points in the Jan. 5 loss.

Carmelo Anthony, meanwhile, had 21 points, nine assists and six rebounds in that contest - the Nuggets' eighth win in nine games against Indiana - but suffered a broken bone in his right hand in the third quarter that sidelined him for the next 10 games.

In his last six games against the Pacers, Anthony is averaging 30.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

Indiana (25-36) returns home following Friday's 104-99 loss to Boston. T.J. Ford, who missed the Jan. 5 loss with a sore lower back, scored a team-high 23 points as the Pacers fell for the 12th time in 13 road games.

Indiana, however, has five straight home wins and is averaging 107.0 points in its last 14 games there. The Pacers haven't enjoyed that kind of success at home against the Nuggets, though, losing four in a row since a 71-60 victory on Nov. 4, 2003.

Jarrett Jack looks to continue his hot shooting. The first-year Pacer - averaging 11.8 points - is scoring 20.2 per game on 50.7 percent shooting since Granger's injury Feb. 18 at Charlotte.

Jack had 17 points and seven assists in the Jan. 5 loss.

Troy Murphy is averaging 18.8 points and 15.0 boards while recording six straight double-doubles. He had 15 points and 12 rebounds against Denver in the teams' first meeting this season.