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Nuggets open trek in Charlotte

Dec 7, 2010 - 4:00 PM (Sports Network) - Fresh off a perfect homestand, George Karl and the Denver Nuggets head east on the brink of history when they begin a four-game road trip in the Queen City against a struggling Charlotte Bobcats team.

A win tonight by the Nuggets and Karl will join Don Nelson, Lenny Wilkens, Pat Riley, Jerry Sloan, Phil Jackson and Larry Brown as one of only seven coaches to win 1,000 games in the NBA.

"I would probably like it in Charlotte and get it over with and have some beers and keep our momentum going in a good direction," Karl, who missed the final two months of last season while battling throat and neck cancer, said of the impending milestone.

Most recently for Denver, Chauncey Billups made two key free throws in the final seconds on Sunday, as the Nuggets held on for a 108-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies to finish off a 5-0 residency.

Nene scored 27 points with 11 rebounds and Arron Afflalo had 25 points as the Nuggets staved off a Memphis comeback for their seventh straight win overall. Carmelo Anthony was just 4-for-20 from the field while scoring 13 points.

"We've had a habit on this homestand of getting big leads and losing them, so we have to do a much better job of maintaining our focus and maintaining the lead," said Afflalo.

On the injury front for the Nuggets, defensive stalwart Chris Andersen is expected to miss close to two weeks after fracturing a bone in his lower back last Friday.

Denver, which is 3-5 on the road this season versus a sparkling 10-1 ledger at Pepsi Center, will also visit Boston, Toronto and New York on its trek.

The Bobcats, meanwhile, lost for the third time in four games on Saturday when Jodie Meeks poured in career-high 26 points on 7-of-10 shooting from behind the arc, as the Philadelphia 76ers started strong and never trailed in a 109-91 victory over Charlotte in the City of Brotherly Love.

Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson paced the Bobcats with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Charlotte was also playing a back-to-back, having pulled out an overtime win against New Jersey on Friday.

"We couldn't guard them, one through five," Bobcats head coach Larry Brown said disgustedly.

The Nuggets have won four of their last five meetings with Charlotte.