MILWAUKEE » Shannon Brown said his goal is to win the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. To be a serious candidate, he’ll need to keep repeating performances like this one.

Brown scored 16 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 118-107 last night to snap a two-game losing streak.

"I’m going to keep working and we’re going to keep winning," Brown said. "It’s more about doing what I’ve got to do to help my team win."

Los Angeles had started 8-0 before the consecutive losses, but Brown and Bryant sparked the Lakers on both ends of the floor against what had been the stingiest defense in the NBA.

"He’s even a better shooter than he was last year," Bryant said. "You see him now making plays off the dribble, making plays for others, passing off the dribble. He continues to get better. This is just the beginning for him."

Bryant scored 13 points in the third quarter, including seven straight in a crucial stretch. Brown didn’t skip a beat in the fourth, hitting four 3-pointers that stifled the Bucks’ rally.

"Tried to open it up, that’s my job coming off the bench, to get momentum if we’re lacking or do whatever it takes," Brown said. "Today, it was hitting shots and playing defense."

Nuggets 120, Knicks 118

Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points and his teammates overcame his emotional blowup in the closing minutes to lead Denver past New York.

Denver led by 16 early, but the Knicks made a game of it by trimming a 12-point deficit to start the fourth quarter to 109-107 with 3:07 left on Raymond Felton’s free throw after Anthony was whistled for a technical after tossing his headband when he was tied up by Wilson Chandler while going for a slam dunk.

Anthony was then whistled for a loose-ball foul on the jump, and Chandler sank both foul shots to cap an 11-0 run and tie it at 109. Chauncey Billups and Ty Lawson hit back-to-back jumpers and the Nuggets settled down.

Hawks 102, Pacers 92

Josh Smith had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks to help Atlanta win its second straight after a four-game losing streak.

The Pacers were short-handed, as point guard Darren Collison and reserve forward Tyler Hansbrough sat out with sprained left ankles.

Bulls 95, Rockets 92

Derrick Rose scored 17 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and Chicago opened its seven-game road trip by beating Houston.

Rose also had seven assists, and Luol Deng added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls, who won their fourth straight overall and earned their first victory in three road games this season.

Trail Blazers 100, Grizzlies 99

Wesley Matthews, subbing for injured guard Brandon Roy, scored a career-high 30 points to lead Portland over Memphis.

Matthews shot 11-for-19 from the field, including 5-for-10 from 3-point range, as the Trail Blazers salvaged a win after losing their first two games on a three-game road trip. Portland beat Memphis for the eighth straight time on the road.

Cavaliers 101, 76ers 93

Daniel Gibson scored 18 points, Jamario Moon added 13 and Cleveland finally shook its third-quarter blues to beat Philadelphia, which lost its fourth in a row and played without swingman Andre Iguodala.

Wizards 109, Raptors 94

Gilbert Arenas, replacing injured rookie John Wall (sprained left foot), scored 20 points in his first start of the season to help Washington beat Toronto.