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Struggling Nuggets face off against winless Wizards

Nov 9, 2007 - 3:18 PM Denver (2-3) at Washington (0-4) 8:00 pm EST

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- After two embarrassing road losses, the Denver Nuggets aim for a quick recovery. The Washington Wizards are looking for any success at all.

The Nuggets will face the winless Wizards, who aim to avoid dropping their first five contests for the first time in 41 years, as they continue their four-game Eastern Conference road trip at the Verizon Center on Friday night.

A preseason favorite to be one of the elite squads in the Western Conference, Denver had promised to improve on its porous defense during training camp. But the Nuggets have allowed 109.0 points per game through five contests.

Their poor play on the defensive end was evident in back-to-back losses to the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics this week. Denver blew a 15-point second-half lead to New York and was routed by Boston, 119-93.

The Nuggets allowed the Celtics to shoot 72 percent - while scoring 77 points - in the first half of that contest. Denver will take another hit without forward Nene, who will be out up to six weeks after thumb surgery on Friday.

It has been even worse for Washington, which is one of five teams without a win - joining the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Seattle SuperSonics and Golden State Warriors.

The Wizards, who boast one of the best scoring trios in the NBA, have not been able to get anything going - failing to score more than 85 points in their last three contests.

Washington blew a 20-point lead en route to a 87-85 loss to the New Jersey Nets on Friday. Antawn Jamison scored 24 points and Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler added 21 apiece for the Wizards.

Washington, which split its two games with Denver last season, has lost its first four contests of the campaign for the first time since the 1992-93 season. It has not started 0-5 since 1966-67.