The games this season at home haven't been close. The Nuggets have won by an average of 15.8 points.

"People know when they come into this building that you're going to have to bring your hard hat," said Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups. "You're going to have to play extremely hard. You're going to just have to beat us. We're not going to give you a win or going to lay down."

Billups, a Denver native, believes that's nothing new. He said Denver has been known for a while for being a tough place to play.

"We probably already had that reputation around the league," Billups said.

If the Nuggets didn't, they got it Friday against the Lakers. They outscored them 29-8 in the third quarter en route to a 105-79 win.

Denver's streak of home wins is five shy of the team record. Denver won 19 straight during the 1988-89 season.

"We got a lot of pride coming in here and playing at home," said Nuggets guard J.R. Smith. "We make sure the fans get their money's worth and not waste a dollar."

NUGGETS 130, RAPTORS 112: Carmelo Anthony was hurting. But in the end the Raptors were hurting.

Despite a migraine headache that forced him to miss the morning shootaround, the Nuggets forward scored 32 points in a win Tuesday over Toronto at the Pepsi Center.

"I had the aftereffects," Anthony said. "They just don't go away like that. Some points in the game I felt it, and other points I didn't."

But Anthony never thought about sitting out.

"My legs could work," he said.

The Nuggets outscored Toronto 66-48 in the second half to break a 64-64 tie and turn the game into a rout. Forward Kenyon Martin scored 10 points and Anthony scored nine as the Nuggets outscored the Raptors 33-25 in the third quarter to begin to pull away.

Guard J.R. Smith added 29 points for the Nuggets. With Denver holding Toronto star forward Chris Bosh to just 13 points, rookie guard DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 17.