Final
Nuggets-Rockets Preview
Jan 26, 2010 - 7:08 PM By JUSTIN EINHORN STATS Senior EditorDenver (30-14) at Houston (24-20), 8:30 p.m. EDT
The reigning Western Conference player of the week just keyed yet another win for the Denver Nuggets. Now they should have the previous honoree back in the lineup.
Carmelo Anthony returns following a one-game absence and looks to help the red-hot Chauncey Billups lead the Nuggets to a season-high eighth straight win Wednesday night as they visit the Houston Rockets.
A sprained ankle caused Anthony, averaging 29.7 points to rank second in the league behind LeBron James (29.9), to sit out Monday's matchup with Charlotte. Coach George Karl said after the game he expects Anthony to be ready to play Wednesday.
Neither Anthony's absence nor Kenyon Martin's second-quarter ejection could cool off the Nuggets, who won 104-93 as Billups had 27 points and 11 assists. Denver, which can match its longest win streak from last season Wednesday, also lost forward Chris Andersen to a sprained ankle in the fourth quarter and he's day to day.
"We've got a deep team," Joey Graham told the Nuggets' official Web site after scoring 13 points starting in place of Anthony. "We've got guys who come in all the time when guys get hurt and fill in the shoes where they left off. That's just a good thing about this team."
Still, Denver is clearly much better with Anthony, who missed the first five games this month with a knee problem but returned Jan. 11 and went on to win conference player of the week honors. Billups received that award Monday after averaging 25.7 points, 7.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds in three games.
Fans voted Anthony an All-Star starter and Billups could earn a reserve spot when the teams are announced Thursday.
"When was the last game Chauncey hasn't been huge?" Karl said. "Talk about an All-Star push. The numbers he's been putting up, and the leadership both offensively and defensively orchestrating the team has been incredible."
However, one place where Billups has not flourished is Houston. He's averaged 12.1 points in 14 games there, shooting 38.4 percent from the field.
The Nuggets have lost four in a row in Houston, though they won the only meeting this season in Denver despite Billups leaving with a groin injury in the third quarter. Anthony scored 38 points in the 111-101 victory Dec. 16.
The Rockets struggled defensively against Denver and problems at that end of the floor continue to plague the team. They've given up an average of 104.9 points on 47.9 percent shooting in the last nine games.
Houston has dropped seven of 11 and is coming off back-to-back home losses to Chicago and Atlanta.
"I just told them that they're going to have tough times over the course of the season, and we're kind of running into that right now," coach Rick Adelman said after Monday's 102-95 defeat to the Hawks.
Trevor Ariza has averaged 10.0 points on 35.6 percent shooting in the last four games, including 3 of 19 from 3-point range. Aaron Brooks is 9 of 35 from beyond the arc in five games since going 6 for 9 in a career-high 43-point effort in a win over Minnesota on Jan. 13.
- NBA
DENVER 97
HOUSTON 92 FINAL
Jan 27 11:08 PM - NBA
DENVER 72
HOUSTON 74 END, 3RD QTR
Jan 27 10:33 PM - NBA
DENVER 50
HOUSTON 51 HALFTIME
Jan 27 9:48 PM
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