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Nuggets look to rebound from embarrassing loss

Mar 25, 2007 - 3:00 PM Denver (34-33) at Cleveland (42-27) 8:00 pm EDT

CLEVELAND (Ticker) - The Denver Nuggets need to regain the form they showed during last week's five-game winning streak if they hope to hold on to a Western Conference playoff spot.

Denver has to overcome a difficult task to get back on track as it visits the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

The Nuggets have lost two games in a row, including an embarrassing 121-94 defeat at Toronto, on the heels of the win streak to fall two games behind the Los Angeles Lakers (37-32) for the sixth spot in the West.

Denver's All-Star duo of Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson combined to shoot just 6-of-27 from the field in the loss to the Raptors. Anthony, the league's second leading scorer at 29.3 points per game, managed a season-low 10 points.

The Cavaliers also suffered a setback this week, dropping two straight games after a season-high eight-game winning streak.

Cleveland is 1 1/2 games behind Detroit (43-25) for first place in the Central Division and the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. A division title would be the first for the franchise since the 1975-76 season.

Denver took the first meeting between the teams January 19, despite 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists from LeBron James.

Denver has not swept the season series since 2003-04.