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Iverson out as Nuggets face Trail Blazers

Jan 31, 2007 - 5:27 PM Denver (22-20) at Portland (19-27) 10:00 pm EST

PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- The Denver Nuggets just got Carmelo Anthony back. Now they will have to make do without Allen Iverson.

The Nuggets look to snap their three-game skid without Iverson when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Iverson will be out of the lineup due to a sprained right ankle which he injured against the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday. He did not travel with the team.

A four-time scoring champion, Iverson carried Denver for 14 contests while Anthony - the league's leading scorer - was sidelined serving a 15-game suspension. The Nuggets are 2-3 with both Iverson and Anthony in the lineup.

Iverson scored 31 points and Anthony added 25 in Monday's 105-101 loss to the Bobcats.

Zach Randolph scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and rookie Brandon Roy added 19 in Portland's 103-91 loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Monday.

The Blazers lost their only matchup with Denver this season, a 109-93 defeat on January 14.