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Nuggets-Clippers Preview

Nov 19, 2009 - 10:41 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Denver (8-3) at Los Angeles (4-9), 10:30 p.m. EDT

Poor play away from the Pepsi Center has been holding the Denver Nuggets back somewhat. Perhaps a road contest with the Los Angeles Clippers will give them a boost.

Following two more successful home games, the Nuggets travel to Los Angeles looking to extend a seven-game winning streak against the struggling Clippers on Friday night.

A 4-0 record at the Pepsi Center has helped put Denver (8-3) in a tie for first place with Portland in the Northwest Division. After beating the Lakers 105-79 there last Friday, the Nuggets continued their home dominance four days later with a 130-112 victory over Toronto.

Denver, though, has lost three of its last four on the road, averaging 95.0 points - 6.4 below its season average - during that span.

The Nuggets have three road wins over the Clippers (4-9) during their seven straight victories in the series. Denver has beaten Los Angeles by an average of 11.4 points since a 101-90 road loss Nov. 21, 2007.

Carmelo Anthony, who scored a combined 66 points in his last two road games versus the Clippers, had a big game against the Raptors despite suffering from a severe headache. Anthony woke up with his first migraine in a couple of years, but had 32 points and five assists in 30 minutes.

The All-Star forward once struggled with migraines all the time, but it had been a while since he had one.

"That's why it was weird to all of a sudden wake up with one," he said. "All I can do is sleep. You've just got to sleep it away."

Anthony is averaging 29.9 points, topping 30 in seven of 11 games.

J.R. Smith has been effective in coming off the bench to help Anthony carry the scoring load. Smith has settled in nicely after being suspended for the first seven contests after pleading guilty to reckless driving over the summer, averaging 22.3 points in his last three games.

Los Angeles may be without second-year guard Eric Gordon, who missed a 106-91 loss to Memphis on Wednesday night due to a strained groin. The Clippers fell to 1-8 when Gordon doesn't play.

Gordon, averaging 18.9 points and 1.7 steals, is day to day.

When healthy, Gordon teams with Baron Davis to give the Clippers a formidable backcourt. Davis shot 8 for 13 and finished with 23 points versus the Grizzlies, although he turned the ball over four times.

"At times, we get out of sync offensively," Davis said. "Next thing you know, a two-point game is a 10-point game. ... You can't play like that. ... You have to stay close, and you have to be able to get stops and get rebounds."

Davis is five assists shy of 5,000 for his career. He's averaging 7.2 assists as he continues to feed the ball to center Chris Kaman, who is averaging 21.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

"I just try to come out and help my team win," Kaman said. "I have been getting pretty good looks at the basket and my teammates are finding me. ... I just try to keep playing and do my job."