Instead of a game-winning shot, Carmelo Anthony came through with a block at the buzzer.

The feeling was just as exhilarating.

Anthony's swat of Derek Fisher's shot preserved the Denver Nuggets' 98-96 win last night over the Los Angeles Lakers, who were playing without Kobe Bryant.

"Feels good to do something else, though, other than hitting a game-winner," said Anthony, who scored 31 points. "That felt just as good as hitting the game-winner. It was a game-winner."

With the win, Denver moved a full game in front of Utah for the Northwest Division lead. The Nuggets also remained in contention for the second seed in the Western Conference, staying in a tight race with Phoenix, Dallas and the Jazz.

Bryant had the night off to rest a swollen right knee and an aching right index finger. Los Angeles has dropped four of its last five games, but remains in control for the top seed in the West. The Lakers need just one more win in their last four to wrap it up. Either that or a Denver loss.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

BUTLER'S STEVENS GETS 12-YEAR DEAL

Brad Stevens is content to keep coaching the Butler way.

The 33-year-old coach, who came within a buzzer-beating shot of winning the NCAA men's basketball championship, signed a 12-year deal yesterday that extends to the 2021-22 season.

Team spokesman Jim McGrath declined to say how much the deal was worth, though Stevens had a total compensation package of $750,000 last season.

COLLEGE HOCKEY

B.C., WISCONSIN REACH FINAL

Cam Atkinson scored the first of three goals in a 1:35 stretch midway through the third period, helping Boston College rout top-seeded Miami of Ohio, 7-1, last night in the Frozen Four semifinals at Detroit.

The fourth-seeded Eagles will play third-seeded Wisconsin tomorrow night for the NCAA hockey title. Wisconsin beat Rochester Institute of Technology, 8-1, earlier yesterday.

Ford Field, home of the NFL's Detroit Lions, drew a crowd of 34,954 to set a world indoor attendance record for a hockey game.

NHL

PITT'S CROSBY REACHES 500 POINTS

Sidney Crosby took the NHL lead with his 49th goal and became the third-youngest player in NHL history to reach the 500-point mark, leading the host Pittsburgh Penguins to a 7-3 rout of the New York Islanders yesterday in the final regular-season game in Mellon Arena.

Crosby finished with four points, also assisting on goals by Alex Goligoski and Bill Guerin, giving him 103 points for the season and 502 in his five-season career.

Crosby was originally credited with his 50th goal, but the goal was reviewed after the game and credited to Guerin, giving him two goals.

WNBA

SUNS DRAFT CHARLES NO. 1

UConn's Tina Charles was selected first by the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA draft yesterday, less than two days after helping the Huskies win their second straight national championship.

Charles averaged more than 18 points and nine rebounds while leading UConn to an NCAA Division I-record 78 straight victories over the past two seasons.

The Sun also acquired Charles' former UConn teammate, Renee Montgomery, in exchange for Monica Wright, the second pick in the draft, and Lindsay Whalen from Minnesota. The Lynx then took Nebraska's Kelsey Griffin with the third pick.

IN THE COURTS

NO MORE FIGHTING SIOUX

A state Supreme Court ruling and a Board of Higher Education decision have retired for good the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname after a four-year legal battle.

The court in Mayville, N.D., ruled yesterday that the board had the authority to dump the nickname at any time. The court rejected an appeal that sought to delay action.

A motion later yesterday at the board's regularly scheduled meeting in Mayville to reconsider its vote in May to retire the nickname died after nobody seconded it.