(My Sportsbook) - The Northwest-Division leading
Denver Nuggets resume a season-long, seven-game homestand on Wednesday minus star forward Carmelo Anthony when they welcome the
Miami Heat to Pepsi Arena.
The Heat, meanwhile, will be kicking off a season-long, seven-game road swing.
The Nuggets improved to 2-0 on their residency on Monday when Chauncey Billups scored 24 points and dished out 11 assists as part of a balanced attack, and Denver posted a rather costly 135-115 win over the Indiana Pacers at the Pepsi Center.
Anthony provided 21 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Nuggets, but postgame x-rays revealed he suffered a nondisplaced third metacarpal fracture on his right hand in the third quarter. Anthony's hand will be placed in a splint and the star forward will be sidelined for three to four weeks.
Kenyon Martin added 25 points and seven rebounds for the Nuggets, who have won four straight and improved to 13-4 at the Pepsi Center. Nene had 18 points and six rebounds in the win.
Linas Kleiza posted 11 points, while J.R. Smith had 10 for Denver, which shot a scintillating 58.1 percent from the field and set a season-high for points in a game.
Denver, which has matched its best start since 1976-77, its first year in the NBA, will also host Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix and Orlando on the homestand.
The Heat, meanwhile, fell in Miami on Monday when San Antonio's Tim Duncan recorded 19 points and nine rebounds, as the Spurs defeated Miami, 91-84, at American Airlines Arena.
Dwyane Wade had 24 points and 12 assists for the Heat, who have lost three of five. Shawn Marion posted 15 points and seven rebounds, while Michael Beasley added 15 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.
Udonis Haslem had 10 points and seven rebounds for Miami.
Miami, which is just 6-9 on the road, will also visit Sacramento, the LA Lakers, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Houston and Oklahoma City.
The Nuggets have won six straight over the Heat since a 107-100 loss in South Beach on December 17, 2004. Denver has also won six straight over Miami at the Pepsi Center.
