DENVER -- Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers used a balanced offensive attack to close out a successful Western Conference road trip. Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. Cleveland had five players score in double figures. C.J. Miles added 19 points, including four free throws down the stretch, and Luol Deng scored 18. "Everyone has to be guarded," Irving said. "Its a luxury right now." The Cavaliers finished their five-game trip with a 3-2 record after winning in Denver for the second time in three years. They led most of the way and held off a late rally by the Nuggets that cut a double-digit lead to three early in the fourth quarter. Cleveland went 28 for 35 at the free-throw line, including 12 of 15 in the fourth quarter. "We had each others back because on the road its us against the world," coach Mike Brown said. "We had a lot of guys step up. We were aggressive with 35 free-throw attempts." Wilson Chandler scored 23 points and Ty Lawson had 19 points and 11 assists for the Nuggets, who have dropped two of three. Denver had won its last four home games, but fell to 11-9 at Pepsi Center this season. It had a 38-3 home record last season. "These games should be in the win column," Lawson said. "We just keep letting easy games go. Our last month is tough, weve got to get these games right now." The Nuggets attempted a season-high 37 3-pointers, making 14, but struggled from long range down the stretch. "We were taking what the defence was giving us," Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said. "In the second half we threw up a lot because we were down and we were trying to get back in the game. But I dont think our offence was hurting us - it was defence." After Tyler Zellers free throw made it 94-86 with 9:33 remaining, Evan Fournier hit a floating jump shot in the lane and Nate Robinson made a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to three. It was the closest Denver had been since the second quarter. "We still had the lead. The momentum was in their favour but that happens on the road, especially against a good home team," Irving said. "We had to remain aggressive and thats what we did." The Cavaliers responded with five straight points. Anderson Varejao hit a jumper and free throw and Irving also scored to make it 99-91. Denver made a couple more charges, but each rally fizzled when it got close. Chandler hit two 3-pointers to help the Nuggets get within three at 111-108. Denver had a chance to get within one or tie but an offensive rebound by Irving led to a dunk by Deng with 43.8 seconds left, and Cleveland closed it out from there. "We wanted it and we went out and took it," Irving said. "Couple of mistakes at the end but it didnt rattle us." The Cavaliers led by 14 in the third quarter but Denver made a push to close to 87-80 heading into the fourth. Chandler scored seven points in the period. Irving, Thompson and Miles all had 13 points in the first half for Cleveland, which used an 18-6 run to take a 68-57 lead at the break. Irving scored 10 points in the spurt and Miles hit a corner 3-pointer just before the end of the quarter to push the lead to 11. The Nuggets hit nine 3-pointers in the first 24 minutes to keep it close but allowed the Cavaliers to hit 56.5 per cent from the field in allowing 68 points in the first half for the second time this season. Randy Foye led Denver with 14 points at the break. "That second quarter we gave them 42 points," Foye said. "That just killed us. Every other quarter we held them down. That second quarter killed us." NOTES: Nuggets F Darrell Arthur (left groin strain) missed his third straight game. ... Deng is averaging 18 points since coming to the Cavaliers in a trade with Chicago on Jan. 7. ... Shaw missed shootaround with a sinus infection but was on the sideline for the game. Adidas NMD R2 γυναικεια .J. -- Jaromir Jagr has hit so many NHL milestones this season for the New Jersey Devils that he is starting to downplay them. Adidas NMD γυναικεια . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. http://www.nmdgreece.com/adidas-nmd-r1-g...-i-i-i-i-i.html. Erik Cole scored on a breakaway with 4:49 to play, and the Stars rallied to defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Saturday night. παπουτσια NMD . -- Josh Smith made a 3-pointer as time expired and finished with 20 points to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 99-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in both teams exhibition finale. Adidas NMD R2 Ελλαδα . -- Brendan Leipsic had two goals and an assist and Nicolas Petan extended his point streak to 11 games as the Portland Winterhawks slipped past the Red Deer Rebels 5-4 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action.TORONTO – He was nowhere to be found in the fall of 2013. While the first day of Maple Leafs training camp got underway at the Mastercard Centre in west Toronto, Cody Franson sat at home in his apartment, waiting for 3pm practice with the Ryerson Rams. He was mired in the second of three contract struggles, this one finally coming to a close on Sept. 26, less than a week before the start of the regular season. "It was really weird," he recalled of the experience. "Ive had a couple negotiations go close to the wire, but never where I anticipated that Id actually have to leave, pack up my bags and actually leave the rink the day before camp rather than just feeling like somethings going to get done. That was an odd feeling to wrap my head around. Its unfortunate that thats the way that it had to go, but thats the business sometimes." Franson remained a restricted free agent this past offseason and though it took the threat of arbitration, he and the Leafs were able to come to terms on yet another one-year deal, this one for $3.3 million. And so unlike last fall and the fall before that, the now 27-year-old defender begins what he agrees is the most important season of his NHL career without a contract hiccup to worry about. "I think Franny knows and feels that he has to have a better season than he did last year," said head coach, Randy Carlyle following the first day of on-ice workouts. "When a guy misses camp it can have an effect over the course of an 82-game schedule that he doesnt start well or he has more valleys than peaks. We saw that and we experienced that with Cody Franson for periods of time [last season] and hell be the first one to admit it." Franson describes his 2013-14 campaign as an inconsistent picture, on point some nights, not so much on others. He bounced between a rotating cast of defence partners and troubled defensive strategy, ultimately unable to fulfill the top-four role (and increased competition) the club had hoped he might be capable of assuming. His possession numbers were amongst the best on the team and he remained the highest scoring defendeer in Toronto, but he never quite found the groove of a year earlier, when he broke out with 29 points in 45 games while holding down 19 minutes per night.dddddddddddd The stench of another collapse also lingered, almost to the point of no escape. Trips back home to tiny Sicamous, British Columbia this past summer brought with them the expected questions from friends and family, all curious as to how he and the Leafs could tumble so rapidly from a sure playoff position to yet another stinging miss last spring. "It just seems to be the common theme," he said of the meltdown, the third in as many years. That disastrous finish also left him wondering about his future in Toronto, especially precarious with new management in the fold. "When things happen like that you never know whats gonna happen," Franson said. "That opens a lot of doors that maybe typically wouldnt be open had we done well." His place with the organization has never really been all that secure. Signed to three one-year deals, each with a dispute of some kind, Franson has mostly been left wondering where exactly he fits in the Leafs big picture. And hed like to change that this season. In describing his goals for the coming year, Franson says he would like to keep up the offensive production, remain a physical presence, and become an improved all-around defender. Because the Leafs added Stephane Robidas and Roman Polak in the offseason, Carlyle may be able to employ him in a less demanding role, something closer to the third pairing duty and competition he excelled with in 2013 – be it alongside Morgan Rielly or Jake Gardiner. Set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time next summer, Franson has a lot riding on the year that follows. Its not a stretch to call it the biggest season of his career. "Oh, definitely," he said. "With [unrestricted] free agency next year Im out to prove that I can do the job that they need me to do. This is where I want to be. Im hopeful that something can get done. Ive got to have a big year in order for that to happen." ' ' '