LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20 (Ticker) -- Carmelo Anthony already is in midseason form.

Anthony scored 20 of his 26 points in the first half to lead the Denver Nuggets to their third straight preseason victory, a 105-94 triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Video highlights from Nuggets-Lakers: Play

After George Karl took over as coach midway through last season, Anthony's scoring and shooting percentage increased while his playing time decreased slightly. The third-year forward has reached the 20-point mark in three straight outings.

Anthony made 9-of-16 shots, grabbed eight rebounds and had six assists in 28 minutes. He threw down a two-handed dunk on a full-court pass from Earl Boykins, highlighting an 11-0 run in the third quarter, which gave the Nuggets an 81-61 lead.

Kenyon Martin, who sat out Tuesday's game against Sacramento with a sore left knee, scored 16 points and Greg Buckner came off the bench to add 13 for Denver, which shot 53 percent (38-of-72) and never trailed.

Kwame Brown continued to make a favorable impression on the Lakers after spending his first four seasons with Washington. He made 7-of-8 shots and scored 16 points to lead five players in double figures.

Kobe Bryant, the league's second-leading scorer last season, scored 15 points and Devean George added 11 in Phil Jackson's first home game since returning as Lakers coach.