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Nuggets host Knicks at Pepsi Center

Nov 16, 2010 - 4:11 PM (Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets will try to get back to their winning ways when they entertain the New York Knicks this evening from the Pepsi Center.

Rumors swirled in the offseason that Anthony, who has yet to sign an extension with Denver, wanted to be traded to the Knicks or Nets. Nothing has happened yet and Anthony is averaging 24.5 points and 9.4 rebounds this season. He had 20 points and 22 rebounds in Monday's 100-94 road loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Arron Afflalo scored 15 points for the Nuggets, who have lost three of four games and got 14 points apiece from Nene, Al Harrington and Chauncey Billups. The Suns put the game away with a 14-1 run late in the game.

"This is a game we should have won and we let it slip by us," Harrington said. "We've got to get better closing out games. There was a loophole in our defense and they attacked it and it was enough for them to win the game. It's frustrating, we found a recipe that would help us win the game and we went away from it."

Nuggets forward J.R. Smith did not play against the Suns after arriving late for the team's shoot-around. Denver head coach George Karl hasn't left the desert with a victory since 1997, when he was employed by the Seattle SuperSonics.

New York could use a player like Anthony right now and is mired in a five-game losing streak. It will begin a four-game road trip tonight against the Nuggets, Kings, Warriors and Clippers and is 2-3 away from home this season.

The Knicks suffered their fifth consecutive defeat in Sunday's 104-96 setback to the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden, as Amare Stoudemire totaled 25 points and eight boards in defeat. Wilson Chandler added 17 points and seven boards off the bench.

"(Losing) is not something I'm accustomed to. It's not fun," Stoudemire said. "We have to do a much better job out there. Collectively, we really have to step it up...We can't keep doing the exact same thing every night. We have to find a way to grow up."

New York was outscored 14-4 to close out the third quarter.

The Nuggets and Knicks split a home-and-home series last season, with each team winning as the host. Denver has won eight of the last 11 matchups with New York, which has dropped three in a row and eight of 10 trips to the Rocky Mountains.