• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Nuggets look to end struggles in Dallas

Dec 6, 2007 - 2:14 PM Denver (11-8) at Dallas (12-7) 8:00 pm EST

DALLAS (Ticker) - Allen Iverson likely will need another huge performance if the Denver Nuggets hope to pick up a win in a venue where they have struggled when they meet the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

Iverson scored 51 points on Wednesday, but the huge effort went to waste as the Nuggets endured a 111-107 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the 11th time in his career that he reached the 50-point mark.

The Nuggets will likely need more than just Iverson against Dallas, where they have dropped five straight and 18 of their last 19 games since the start of the 1997-98 season.

Dallas will be happy to return home after a 1-2 road trip, mostly because it is 8-1 at the American Airlines Center. On Wednesday, the Mavs suffered a 97-95 loss to the Tim Duncan-less San Antonio Spurs.

Josh Howard, the Mavericks' leading scorer this season over reigning league MVP Dirk Nowitzki, led the Mavericks with 22 points and nine rebounds.