Nuggets control Warriors

Allen Iverson scored 33 points, J.R. Smith added 24 off the bench and the Denver Nuggets took control of the race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a 114-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night at Oakland, Calif.

The win moved Denver (48-31) a game ahead of the Warriors in the race for eighth place in the West with only three games remaining. The Nuggets also control the tiebreaker, meaning they can clinch their fifth straight playoff berth by winning two of their final three games.

Golden State (47-32) probably will need to win its final three games and hope Denver loses twice to avoid the distinction of being the team with the most wins to miss the NBA playoffs.

The Nuggets, who trailed by 16 points in the first quarter, took a 99-86 lead when Smith’s two free throws capped a 7-0 spurt early in the fourth quarter. Carmelo Anthony’s 3-pointer made it 104-90 with 7:52 to go and silenced the largest crowd in Warriors history.

Baron Davis had a triple-double with 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for the Warriors, but shot only 9 for 25.

Mavericks 97, Jazz 94: At Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki finished with 32 points after swished a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left, breaking a tie and giving the Mavericks a victory over Utah that also clinched a playoff berth.

Lakers 106, Clippers 78: At Los Angeles, Luke Walton scored 13 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and the Lakers beat the short-handed Clippers for their fifth win in six games.