The Nuggets can accomplish that feat again and extend their win streak to seven Monday night as they go for their first season sweep of the Houston Rockets in 32 years.
Denver (45-21) owns the longest current win streak in the Western Conference and is one-half game ahead of Dallas in the race for the No. 2 seed. The Nuggets are three games behind the Los Angeles Lakers.
With Adrian Dantley filling in as coach while George Karl undergoes cancer treatments, Denver has trailed at halftime in every game of this trip. The Nuggets’ latest rally featured one of their best fourth quarters of the season.
The Nuggets last swept a four-game trip April 2-8, 2005. Smith averaged 21.5 points as Denver won the first two matchups of the season with the Rockets (33-31), whom the Nuggets have not swept since going 3-0 in 1977-78.
Carmelo Anthony(notes) missed Denver’s last two visits to Houston, where he has had his share of problems. His 19.2 scoring average at Toyota Center is his worst in any arena and his 38.8 field-goal percentage is his second worst.
Anthony, averaging 28.5 points, has scored at least 30 in four games during this win streak and should face a tough defensive matchup against Trevor Ariza(notes) on Monday. Rockets forward Shane Battier(notes) came off the bench for the first time in a 116-108 home win over New Jersey on Saturday, with Ariza re-joining the lineup.
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