Denver had started to show signs of life earlier this month, but have lost four in a row. Three of those defeats came to the Mavericks, Warriors and Spurs, though.




Now the Nuggets step way down in class in a circle-the-wagons game for them. Denver has been idle the past two days and gets back sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari. He had missed the last 15 games with a knee injury. Gallinari can take some of the perimeter pressure off Arron Afflalo.




The Nuggets are making just 40.8 percent of their shots from the field during their losing streak and 33 percent from the 3-point line. They also are hitting just 66.3 percent from the free-throw line. Gallinari should help turn around those low marks.




The Celtics just ended a 24-game road losing streak to Western Conference foes by nipping injury-plagued Portland, 90-89, last night on a 3-pointer by Evan Turner with one second left. This puts the Celtics, who dealt away point guard Rajon Rondo and leading scorer Jeff Green, in a letdown spot lacking the offense to stay with Denver.




Not only are the Celtics playing without rest, but they are entering a new time zone and playing in high altitude. They have a bad track record in Denver having lost the past five times there while failing to cover eight of the last 10 times, including losing by 31 points last season at Pepsi Center.




I like the Nuggets even if Kenneth Faried can't play. He missed Thursday's practice with flulike symptoms.