DENVER — Chauncey Billups hasn't had this much fun on the basketball court in Denver since he was winning two high school state titles back in the mid-1990s.

Billups led the Nuggets to another blowout of the New Orleans Hornets last night, scoring 31 points in Denver's 108-93 win.

"I do want to kind of apologize. I said he's a player without skills" after the series opener, Nuggets coach George Karl said. "He's very skilled. But he plays the game without skills a lot. He plays the game with a brain, and a teamness, a point guard leadership. Then he figures out when to put the skills in the game."

In two games, Billups has scored 67 points, made 12 of 15 3-pointers and sunk all 19 of his free throws while getting a dozen assists and not committing any turnovers.

"I've always kind of been a safe player. I don't take that many chances if I don't have to," Billups said. "I try to make the right play. I don't always make the right play but I try to."

The best-of-seven series moves to New Orleans for Game 3 on Saturday night with the Nuggets holding just the third 2-0 edge in their 33-year NBA history.

Billups' arrival from Detroit in the lopsided Allen Iverson trade transformed the Nuggets from an afterthought to the West's second seed and a franchise record-tying 54 wins. Now, he has his hometown team closing in on its first trip to the second round in 15 years.

After his one-man offensive outburst in the opener, Billups, who attended the University of Colorado in nearby Boulder after leading Denver's George Washington High School to two state titles, had company in the limelight on this night.

Carmelo Anthony scored 22 points and dished out nine assists. J.R. Smith added 15 points.

David West scored 21 points, and Chris Paul had 14 points and 13 assists to lead the Hornets.

MAGIC 96, 76ERS 87

ORLANDO, Fla. — Fouled out and reduced to a spectator, Dwight Howard stood on the Orlando Magic sidelined with one thought as he watched the Philadelphia 76ers erase another big lead.

"Man, I hope these boys don't come back again," Howard said.

They nearly did.

Rookie Courtney Lee had a career-high 24 points, Hedo Turkoglu added 16 and the Magic nearly blew another 18-point lead before beating Philadelphia last night to even the series at a game apiece.

Howard had 11 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out, and Rashard Lewis made a pair of jumpers in the final minutes to help Orlando.

"They want me to shoot the jumpshot," Lee said. "Knowing that Dwight's so dominant down low, it's up to me to make shots when he's double-teamed."