DALLAS (AP) - Over one season or two, no team in NBA history has lost as many games in a row as these Cleveland Cavaliers.
The surging Dallas Mavericks beat Cleveland 99-96 on Monday night, making it 25 straight losses for the Cavs.
Cleveland already held the record for the most losses in a single season, but the league also keeps a record for losses spread over two seasons. This topped that one, too, making it the most consecutive losses in league history, period.
The previous record also was held by the Cavaliers, set in the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons.
Cleveland had a chance to tie it with a 3-pointer in the final seconds, but made one pass too many and time expired without a shot going up.
Jason Terry scored 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to send Dallas to its ninth straight win, the longest active streak in the NBA.
Rockets 108, Nuggets 103
DENVER (AP) - Kevin Martin scored 37 points and Houston took advantage of Nene's absence and Chauncey Billups' early exit to beat Denver despite Carmelo Anthony's 50-point effort that tied his career high.
Martin, who had just eight points in his previous trip to Denver, scored 18 in the decisive third quarter, half of them during a 13-0 run the Rockets used to grab control at 71-56.
Luis Scola chipped in 25 points for the Rockets, who handed Denver its seventh loss in 28 home games.
Anthony scored nine points in the final minute of a furious but futile comeback attempt. His banked 3-pointer made it 105-101 with 20 seconds remaining, but Kyle Lowry sank two foul shots at the other end.
Anthony also scored 50 on Nov. 27, 2009, against the Knicks.
The Nuggets started the game without Nene (flu), and Billups left after straining his left knee in the first quarter.
Lakers 93, Grizzlies 84
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Kobe Bryant scored 19 points and Lamar Odom had 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead Los Angeles over Memphis.
Memphis got within two points in the fourth quarter, but Los Angeles took advantage of five Grizzlies turnovers to go on an 11-0 run and take an 89-76 lead.
The Lakers, who tied the season series 2-all, have won three of four overall. The Grizzlies have lost two straight but still have won five of their last seven.
Pau Gasol scored 17 points for the Lakers.
Sam Young led the Grizzlies with 22 points, matching his career high.
Bobcats 94, Celtics 89
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Gerald Wallace scored 19 points, including the clinching free throws with 3 seconds left, and Charlotte overcame top scorer Stephen Jackson's ejection to beat the short-handed Boston Celtics.
Shaun Livingston added a season-high 18 points, little-used Eduardo Najera had a key 3-pointer late, and the Bobcats snapped six-game losing streak to Boston in a testy game that included five technical fouls and yet another emotional outburst by Jackson.
Ray Allen scored 25 points and hit two 3-pointers, leaving him two shy of breaking Reggie Miller's NBA career record of 2,560. Paul Pierce added 22 points and Kevin Garnett grabbed 14 rebounds for the Celtics, who dressed only 10 players.
Boston, coming off emotional games against powers Dallas and Orlando, ran out of gas in the fourth quarter against Charlotte in a potential first-round playoff preview.
Timberwolves 104, Hornets 92
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Kevin Love had 27 points and 17 rebounds, tying a franchise record with his 37th straight double-double, and the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves maintained their surprising dominance of the playoff-contending New Orleans Hornets.
Minnesota's second double-digit win over New Orleans this season might have been a costly one, though. Michael Beasley, who had 14 points, had to be helped off the floor with a left leg injury in the fourth quarter and starting center Darko Milicic departed with a strained left hip flexor in the first.
The injuries meant more action for Nikola Pekovic and Anthony Tolliver, who each scored 12 points. Minnesota hit 11 3-pointers and made all 25 of its free throws in snapping a three-game skid and winning only its third road game this season.
Chris Paul had 17 points and 13 assists for the Hornets, who have lost three straight and five of six.
Love was 14 of 14 on free throws. He joined John Stockton and former Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett as the only NBA players to record 37 consecutive double-doubles in the last 25 years.
Trail Blazers 109, Bulls 103
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - LaMarcus Aldridge had a career-high 42 points and Portland defeated Chicago.
Derrick Rose had 36 points for the Bulls, who lost their second straight. Chicago has not lost three in a row this season.
Aldridge's jumper with 1:11 left made it 100-93 and appeared to seal it for the Blazers, but Rose answered with a 3-pointer with just more than a minute to go.
Aldridge hit a turnaround jumper and Andre Miller made a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left to make it 104-96. Luol Deng had a reverse layup on the other end, but the Bulls could not catch up.
Chicago has lost four straight and 11 of their last 13 at the Rose Garden.
Jazz 107, Kings 104
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Al Jefferson scored 23 points and Deron Williams had 21 points and nine assists to help Utah rally past Sacramento.
The Jazz outscored the Kings 27-17 in the fourth quarter in winning their second road game in a row after dropping the previous six.
Paul Millsap fouled out late in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 points. Raja Bell had 17 points and Kyrylo Fesenko 11.
DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and 14 rebounds for Sacramento, which committed 20 turnovers. Tyreke Evans had 21 points, but the Kings have lost three straight.
Omri Casspi's 3-pointer in the closing seconds was an airball and the Jazz secured the rebound and the victory.
Suns 104, Warriors 92
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Steve Nash had 14 points and 15 assists, leading Phoenix over Golden State on his 37th birthday.
Channing Frye had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Grant Hill scored 18 to help the Suns build a 23-point lead and hold on late. They made 13 3-pointers and shot 43 percent from the floor.
Monta Ellis scored 21 points and David Lee had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors, who got within five in the fourth quarter but could not come all the way back.