Travis Outlaw scored 18 of his 21 points in the first half and the New Jersey Nets withstood two rallies by Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets en route to a 115-99 home victory Monday night.

Brook Lopez scored 27 points and Devin Harris added a career-high 18 assists for the Nets, who returned home from a winless two-game road trip and posted their eighth win in 10 home contests.

Anthony showed the Newark crowd his best with 37 points and nine rebounds against the team he has been linked to in trade talks for several months. Earlier this month, he intimated to those close to him that he didn’t want to play in New Jersey, and the Nets announced they would no longer pursue a trade for him.

The All-Star forward got a mixed reaction when his name was announced during starting lineups and was booed every time he touched the ball in the first quarter.

After three wins that began a five-game road trek, the Nuggets lost the last two, falling to Philadelphia on Sunday.

The Nets led by double digits throughout until Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups scored 11 points in the final four minutes of the third period - two 3-pointers and five free throws - to bring Denver within four.

But Anthony Morrow made a shot from the arc to restore an 85-78 lead heading to the fourth period. Morrow finished a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, including four 3-pointers, for 18 points.

Denver got within five with seven minutes left, but New Jersey scored 17 of the next 21 points to put it away.

The Nets were on fire in the first half, setting season highs of 63 points and 62 percent shooting to take a 13-point lead into the locker room. New Jersey led by as many as 18 points and - after Denver closed to 59-46 on Anthony’s 3-pointer - Harris found Kris Humphries and Lopez on consecutive fast-break alley-oop dunks that stemmed the tide.