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The Denver Nuggets continue to trail far behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Northwest Division and lost another game over the past two days to slide eight games behind the top spot.
The Nuggets lost, 101-97, on Thursday to the Minnesota Timberwolves as Kevin Love posted a double-double for Minnesota with 12 points and 17 rebounds. The loss hurt even more for Denver after other teams in the division fared well on Friday.
The Oklahoma City Thunder took care of business against the Philadelphia 76ers by posting a 109-85 win behind 27 points and five assists from Russell Westbrook.
The Portland Trail Blazers earned an impressive road win, 86-84, over the Memphis Grizzlies. Wes Matthews led the Blazers with 21 points
The Utah Jazz also logged a road win, beating the Phoenix Suns 87-80 for their second-consecutive win. Center Al Jefferson scored 21 points for Utah while Paul Millsap added 19 points and 10 rebounds.
The Los Angeles Clippers remain locked in a tight race with OKC after beating the Los Angeles Lakers, 107-102, at Staples Center on Friday night. Chris Paul hit the Lakers with 30 points and 13 assists to nullify Kobe Bryant's 38-point effort.
In games of note in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics snapped a four-game losing streak by drilling the Indiana Pacers, 94-75. Also, the Chicago Bulls handled the Miami Heat, 96-89, as Carlos Boozer scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Here's a look at the full NBA scoreboard.