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Spurs go for 10th straight win vs. Nuggets

Dec 22, 2010 - 4:58 PM (Sports Network) - The San Antonio Spurs will try to extend their latest winning streak to 10 games when they finish a three-game homestand versus the Carmelo Anthony-less Denver Nuggets at the AT&T Center.

The Denver superstar has been excused from tonight's game in the Alamo City due to a death in his family.

"Our entire organization supports Carmelo during this difficult time for him and his family," Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said in a statement. "It is heartbreaking news, particularly during the holiday season."

The Nuggets thought they had halted the Spurs' run last week but Anthony's apparent game-winning shot was erased by a questionable offensive foul call as Manu Ginobili slid in front of the All-Star to draw a charge and San Antonio escaped with a 113-112 triumph in the Rocky Mountains.

"It's a play that I think goes either way a lot," Denver coach George Karl said after the game. "It seemed like the referees, they like to hit us with tough calls."

Karl's assessment of the call cost him $25,000 in the form of a fine by the NBA and the Spurs have gone on to win two more games since, including a 118-100 triumph over Phoenix on Monday. Gary Neal scored a career-high 22 points in that one as San Antonio stopped the short-handed Suns.

A close game was blown open by San Antonio's 23-3 run in the third quarter in that one. Coincidently, that was the club's league-leading record coming into the game.

Tim Duncan provided 20 points, 15 rebounds and six assists for the Spurs, who got 19 points from Tony Parker and 17 out of Richard Jefferson.

"The third was the difference in the whole game," said Duncan. "We worked hard on the boards and did a better job defensively. We got a couple of stops in a row and it changed the whole game for us."

The Suns made a run to pull within single digits in the fourth quarter, but they ran out of gas without the three players they acquired in a trade with Orlando on Saturday -- Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus.

Denver, meanwhile, continues to push forward despite persistent trade rumors swirling around Anthony.

'Melo and the Nuggets finished up a three-game homestand in winning fashion on Saturday when Anthony scored 24 points and Denver withstood a late Minnesota charge and a huge night from Kevin Love to earn a 115-113 victory over the Timberwolves.

Ty Lawson added 23 points and nine assists for the Nuggets, who have won three of five. J.R. Smith provided 18 points off the bench in the victory.

Love posted a career-high 43 points and pulled down 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who scored the final seven points of the game but came up a basket short.

"I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty, so I mean, I'll take the win," Lawson said. "We've got to focus on closing games, but I'll take a win like this any time."

Denver, which is shooting for its fourth straight win in the Alamo City tonight, could get a big boost with the possible returns of point guard Chauncey Billups (torn ligament in right wrist) and big men Chris Andersen (fractured lower vertebrae) and Kenyon Martin (left knee surgery).

All three players practiced Monday and Karl is confident Billups, who has missed three games, will play and he called both Anderson and Martin game-time decisions.

"We owe them a lot of payback," Lawson told the Nuggets' website when talking about the Spurs and tonight's game.