Iverson, Nuggets visit injury-riddled Hornets

The Nuggets are 2-1 with Iverson in the lineup. Iverson poured in a game-high 44 points and dished out 10 assists to pace Denver to a 112-98 thrashing of the Seattle SuperSonics on Thursday at the Pepsi Center.

Iverson shot a sizzling 17-of-29 from the field and 9-of-12 from the line in the win over Seattle for the Nuggets. Earl Boykins came off the bench and scored 24 points, while Reggie Evans netted nine and pulled down 18 boards for Denver.

The 31-year-old Iverson, who was acquired by Denver earlier this month in a blockbuster deal with Philadelphia, is averaging 31.3 points and 11.0 assists in his three games with the Nuggets.

Denver continues to play without star forward Carmelo Anthony and guard J.R. Smith. Anthony is serving a 15-game suspension for his role in December 16th’s brawl at Madison Square Garden, while Smith received a 10-game suspension.

On the injury front for Denver, center Marcus Camby is sidelined with a broken finger on his right hand. Camby is averaging 11.7 points and a team-best 11.0 rebounds per game.

Denver is 7-5 on the road this season. The Nuggets return home to host Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

The banged up Hornets have lost three in a row and seven of their last eight games overall. Zach Randolph scored 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers led from start to finish in a 100-85 defeat of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets on Wednesday at the Rose Garden..

Jannero Pargo, Desmond Mason and Rasual Butler all scored 16 points for the Hornets, who are still reeling from the loss of star guard Chris Paul, who is the reigning Rookie of the Year.

Paul sprained his right ankle during Tuesday’s 102-94 loss at Seattle. He is expected to miss tonight’s contest. Paul leads the team in scoring (18.4 ppg) and assists (9.0 apg).

The Hornets also continue to play without Peja Stojakovic (lower back) and David West (right forearm/elbow). Stojakovic, who is averaging 17.8 points per game and last played on November 24th, is expected to miss at least two months, while West, who is averaging 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds, has not played since November 12th and is out indefinitely.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City is 6-6 at home this season. The Hornets are scheduled to visit the Mavericks on Saturday at American Airlines Center.

Denver has won four straight after losing its last three at the Hornets. The Nuggets have won six of the last seven contests in this series.