• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Blazers, Nuggets set for Northwest battle

Dec 28, 2010 - 3:56 PM (Sports Network) - Denver got a brief look at what life will be like without Carmelo Anthony and the results certainly weren't pretty. The Nuggets expect their superstar back in the lineup tonight, however, as the team entertains the Portland Trail Blazers at Pepsi Center.

Anthony, who has been the subject of numerous trade rumors after refusing to sign an extension with Denver in the offseason, missed the last three games following the death of his sister. Denver was competitive but lost all of them, culminating with a 95-89 setback to Philadelphia on Sunday. Jodie Meeks hit a deep three with 47.1 seconds remaining to cap a strong fourth quarter for the 76ers in that one.

Chauncey Billups finished with a game-high 24 points, Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson both scored 14 and Nene had 13 points and nine rebounds for Denver, which fell to 12-3 on the season at home.

"I think it's something we have to spend some time watching on film, going through game-type situations in practice," Billups said of the fourth-quarter meltdown.

Denver hasn't lost four in a row since Feb. 14-24, 2007.

Portland, meanwhile, snapped a four-game road losing streak on Monday when LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 of his 26 points in the second half, powering the Trail Blazers to a 96-91 win over the Utah Jazz.

Andre Miller added 17 points and former Jazz member Wesley Matthews ended with 14 points for Portland, which snapped a five-game skid against Utah and improved to 1-1 on a three-game road trip. Rudy Fernandez ended with 13 points, as the Blazers won for the fourth time in five overall contests.

"We just played hard. We matched their intensity," Matthews said. "They are a tough team at home; it's a tough place to play. I know that from both sides. But we controlled the game for the most part."

The news wasn't all good for Portland, however. Already without Joel Przybilla (sprained left ankle) and Brandon Roy (sore left knee), the Blazers lost the services of center Marcus Camby. He was helped to the locker room in the third quarter with a badly sprained right ankle. X-rays taken at EnergySolutions Arena were negative but his status is unresolved for tonight's contest.

The Nuggets have traditionally dominated Portland at home, winning 19 of the last 21 versus the Blazers in the Rockies, including four in a row. Anthony, meanwhile, has averaged nearly 29.0 points in 13 career home games, 12 of which were Denver wins, against the Trail Blazers.