Reserve J.R. Smith scored 28 points and Carmelo Anthony added 21, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 130-102 win over a Miami Heat team missing LeBron James on Thursday night.

Nene contributed 17 points and Chauncey Billups had 13 assists as the Nuggets routed a second straight opponent. They beat Phoenix by 34 points two nights ago.

Chris Bosh scored 24 points and Dwyane Wade added 16 for Miami, which lost two in a row for the first time since dropping three straight in late November.

James sat out after spraining his left ankle the night before in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game that James was "feeling a little better." He will likely try to play Saturday in Chicago.

With one part of their Big Three missing from the court, the Heat simply weren't the same squad. Along with James went leadership and a 25.4-point scoring average.

The Nuggets led by 32 points in the third quarter and cruised from there. Both teams pulled their starters for the fourth quarter. It's the most points the Heat have allowed this season.

Smith did most of his scoring from long range, hitting eight 3-pointers.

With trade talks heating up lately, Anthony has drawn frequent boos from the Pepsi Center crowd, especially since Billups' name has been dragged into the ordeal. A Denver native, Billups has long been a fan-favorite.

But Anthony heard far more cheers than jeers against the Heat, hitting 8 of 17 shots from the field. His loudest ovation of the night came after a steal in the third quarter, followed by a dunk at the other end.

Ty Lawson provided a boost off the bench, helping the Nuggets build a 17-point halftime lead.

In one sequence, the speedy Lawson zoomed past a defender for a layup, stole the in-bounds pass from Erick Dampier and, after missing the shot, got the rebound and dished it out to Smith for a 3-pointer, energizing the capacity crowd.

Smith also played a big role in the second-quarter spurt, going 4 of 4 from 3-point range.

The Heat received a brief scare in the first half when Wade cupped his left eye with his hands after being poked by Arron Afflalo. Wade shook it off and remained on the court.

Last summer, James dominated the news with "The Decision," leaving everyone wondering where he would take his game before announcing he would join fellow superstars Wade and Bosh in South Beach.

And now the winter has been dominated by Anthony's own version of the drama.

Anthony's future has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he spurned the Nuggets' three-year, $65 million contract extension over the summer. He also put his Denver mansion on the market.

The most recent talks has Billups and former Detroit teammate Richard Hamilton reuniting in New Jersey along with Anthony in a blockbuster deal that involves three teams and more than a dozen players.

But the likely stipulation of any team willing to trade for Anthony would be that he signs the extension, so he doesn't bolt next summer and become the headliner of the 2011 class.

Anthony has given no indication if he would agree to sign it and go to the Nets should a deal be consummated. He's maintained that his preferred destination would be the New York Knicks.