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Nuggets aim to continue home dominance over Grizzlies

Dec 5, 2010 - 3:55 PM (Sports Network) - The streaking Denver Nuggets will try and finish a five- game homestand in perfect fashion tonight when they entertain a Memphis Grizzlies team they typically dominate in the Rocky Mountains.

The Nuggets have won 23 of their past 24 meetings with the Grizzlies in Denver.

Most recently for Denver, Carmelo Anthony finished a game for the first time in a week on Friday, scoring 26 points as the Nuggets improved to 4-0 on their residency with a 109-104 victory over the LA Clippers.

Denver, which is now 9-1 in the Rockies, had already beaten Chicago, Phoenix and Milwaukee on its homestand.

Anthony was ejected for arguing in Wednesday's game against the Bucks and he pulled himself out against the Suns last Friday because of the stomach flu.

J.R. Smith added 21 points against the Clips and Chauncey Billups had 17, including a pair of free throws down the stretch that iced a close game for the Nuggets, who have won six straight games overall.

"We were just attacking tonight. The whistle was going our way early," Anthony said.

The Nuggets did receive a bit of bad news in the win, however, when defensive stalwart Chris Andersen, who had missed the first 13 games of the season while recovering from knee surgery, left the game with a bruised lower back after registering six blocked shots. His status for tonight's game is uncertain.

The Grizzlies, who are opening up a four-game road trip tonight, dropped their second straight game on Friday when Kyle Lowry poured in 28 points and dished out 12 assists, as the Houston Rockets handled Memphis, 127-111, at FedExForum.

Rudy Gay finished with 29 points for the Grizzlies, who saw their four-game home winning streak come to an end as they surrendered their highest point total of the season. Marc Gasol tallied 20 points, seven boards and five assists, while Mike Conley chipped in 19 points and eight assists in defeat.

"Defensively it's not just one person," Gay said. "It's the whole team concept, and we're not clicking on our end. We have to go back and find ourselves. We have to go back and find out why we're not being a good defensive team to start off with."

Memphis, which is just 2-7 away from Beale Street, will also face Utah, Phoenix and the LA Clippers on their trek.