GAME THREAD: NBA: DENVER (2-3) at WASHINGTON (0-4)

NBA: DENVER (2-3) at WASHINGTON (0-4)

<h3>Struggling Nuggets face off against winless Wizards</h3>

<div class="pre">Denver (2-3) at Washington (0-4) 8:00 pm EST</div>

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


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


A preseason favorite to be one of the elite squads in theWestern Conference, Denver had promised to improve on its porousdefense during training camp. But the Nuggets have allowed109.0 points per game through five contests.


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


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


It has been even worse for Washington, which is one of fiveteams without a win - joining the Miami Heat, MinnesotaTimberwolves, 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 scoremore than 85 points in their last three contests.


Washington blew a 20-point lead en route to a 87-85 loss to theNew Jersey Nets on Friday. Antawn Jamison scored 24 points andGilbert 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 firsttime since the 1992-93 season. It has not started 0-5 since1966-67.

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">DENVER AT WASHINGTON - PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS


DENVER WASHINGTON

F Carmelo Anthony F Caron Butler
F Kenyon Martin F Antawn Jamison
C Marcus Camby C Brendan Haywood
G Allen Iverson G Gilbert Arenas
G Yakhouba Diawara G DeShawn Stevenson

OFFICIALS: Scott Foster
James Capers
Eric Lewis</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">DENVER VS WASHINGTON - INACTIVES

DENVER WASHINGTON

PLAYER NAME REASON PLAYER NAME REASON
A CARTER HAND INJURY E THOMAS HEART SURGERY
C ATKINS STRAINED GROIN O PECHEROV FOOT INJURY
NENE THUMB INJURY</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 3
WASHINGTON 8 8:50 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 12
WASHINGTON 12 5:57 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 18
WASHINGTON 18 2:50 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 28
WASHINGTON 26 END, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA END 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DENVER 28 28
WASHINGTON 26 26 END 1ST QTR

HIGH SCORERS AFTER 1ST QUARTER

DEN - ALLEN IVERSON 8, CARMELO ANTHONY 6,
YAKHOUBA DIAWARA 6
WAS - CARON BUTLER 14, ANTAWN JAMISON 4,
ANDRAY BLATCHE 3</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 34
WASHINGTON 33 8:33 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 40
WASHINGTON 38 5:49 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 53
WASHINGTON 46 2:41 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 60
WASHINGTON 51 HALFTIME</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DENVER 28 32 60
WASHINGTON 26 25 51 HALFTIME

HIGH SCORERS AT HALFTIME

DEN - CARMELO ANTHONY 14, ALLEN IVERSON 10,
KENYON MARTIN 10
WAS - CARON BUTLER 14, ANTAWN JAMISON 10,
ANDRAY BLATCHE 9</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 71
WASHINGTON 54 0:00 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 75
WASHINGTON 56 5:50 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 83
WASHINGTON 60 2:48 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 93
WASHINGTON 62 END, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA END 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DENVER 28 32 33 93
WASHINGTON 26 25 11 62 END 3RD QTR

HIGH SCORERS AFTER 3RD QUARTER

DEN - CARMELO ANTHONY 30, MARCUS CAMBY 13,
ALLEN IVERSON 13
WAS - CARON BUTLER 14, GILBERT ARENAS 13,
ANTAWN JAMISON 12</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 97
WASHINGTON 68 8:37 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: DENVER at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NBA DENVER 107
WASHINGTON 83 4:16 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>