(Sports Network) – With trade rumors again swirling around star forward Carmelo Anthony, the Denver Nuggets aim for their eighth straight win over the Golden State Warriors tonight. Anthony has turned down at least two extension offers from Denver and looked like he might be headed to New Jersey last month before the Nets bowed out of trade talks. Now, with only six games left before the trade deadline, New York and the LA Lakers seem to be amping up pursuit of the All-Star.
All the speculation hasn’t hurt Anthony’s game, however, and the Syracuse product went off for 50 points in the Nuggets’ 108-103 setback to Houston on Monday. Anthony shot 16-of-24 in the game, matched his career-high with the 50 points and also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for Denver, which has lost two of three overall.
“The jump shot is strong and it opens up for drives to the rack,” Anthony said. “Fifty don’t mean nothing tonight.”
Ty Lawson contributed 19 points, six rebounds and five assists in a reserve role and Al Harrington supplied 10 points and seven boards in the loss. Starting point guard Chauncey Billups left the game after tweaking his knee in the first quarter, but an MRI Tuesday revealed no serious damage. The veteran is listed as day-to-day and did travel to Oakland with the team. Meanwhile, center Nene, who missed the loss to the Rockets with a sinus infection, will be a game-time decision tonight.
The Warriors, who will finish up an eight-game homestand tonight, are coming off a 104-92 loss to Phoenix on Monday. Monta Ellis had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Warriors, who had a three-game winning streak snapped and fell to 3-4 overall on the season-long residency.
“It was disappointing from the start that they came out better than we did,” said Warriors forward David Lee, who had 16 points. “Most nights our shooting is able to save us, but we didn’t shoot the ball particularly well.”