Nuggets extend Balkman; exercise option on Afflalo

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2009-10 Denver Nuggets Preview

He seemed comfortable to be back at home after spending six full seasons in the Motor City, and directed an offense alongside superstar Carmelo Anthony. The Anthony/Iverson experiment never panned out, as evidenced by the blockbuster trade, then Billups entered the equation as a perfect complement to the team's perennial All-Star. Billups and Anthony finally ended five years of first-round exits in 2008-09 and helped Denver reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1985.

Now that Billups is ready for his first full season with the Nuggets. head coach George Karl has to feel confident in the team's chances at making another extended run in the 2009-10 campaign. The 19th head coach in Nuggets history and one of the top NBA coaches ever, Karl is shooting for another 50- plus win campaign and the team's seventh consecutive postseason appearance.

The loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals has to be still lingering on the minds of the Nuggets, who are bound to make another

Recap: Denver vs. Charlotte

Arron Afflalo made a personal-best 6-of-7 three- pointers to tie a career high with 24 points, as the Denver Nuggets handled the Charlotte Bobcats, 104-93, at the Pepsi Center.

Afflalo also dished out seven assists for the Nuggets, who were without All- Star forward Carmelo Anthony due to a sprained ankle. Chauncey Billups tallied 27 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds. Nene had 17 points, five rebounds, and four steals, while J.R. Smith added 12 points and six boards off the bench for Denver, which has won seven in a row and eight straight as the host.

"I'm just trying to find a good rhythm shooting, and I got to thank my teammates for that," Afflalo said. "They're doing a lot of creating of the plays, and I'm just standing there trying to make shots."

Golden State Warriors (9-23) at Denver Nuggets (21-13), 9 p.m.

Golden State will try to exorcise its demons in Denver tonight, when the Warriors square off with the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

The Warriors have lost four straight and 12 of their last 15 trips to the Rocky Mountains. They have also lost three in a row overall to Denver, which owns a 10-3 ledger over the previous 13 meetings in this series.

Golden State has lost the first two tests of a four-game road trip and suffered a 105-89 loss at Portland on Saturday. Monta Ellis posted 30 points and Corey Maggette finished with 22 for the Warriors, who are 3-16 away from Oakland and will also visit Minnesota on the road swing.

Charlotte Bobcats (21-22) at Phoenix Suns (26-20), 9 p.m.

The Jekyll and Hyde Charlotte Bobcats resume a season-long six-game western road trip Tuesday in the desert against the struggling Phoenix Suns.

The Bobcats have been extremely tough in Charlotte this season, amassing a gaudy 18-5 mark at Time Warner Cable Arena. The road has been a different story, however, and Larry Brown's club dropped the opener of its trek and fell to a miserable 3-17 as the visitor last night in Denver.

Arron Afflalo made a personal-best 6-of-7 three- pointers to tie a career high with 24 points in that one, as the Nuggets handled the Bobcats, 104-93, at the Pepsi Center.

Dallas acquires Najera from New Jersey

The New Jersey Nets dealt veteran forward Eduardo Najera to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday in exchange for forwards Kris Humphries and Shawne Williams.

To make room on their roster, the Nets waived former first-round pick Sean Williams, who appeared in 20 games this season and averaged 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in nearly 11 1/2 minutes per game.

Najera, 33, rejoins Dallas, where he spent the first four years of his career. In 13 games for the lowly Nets this year, the 6-foot-8 forward plugged in 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. The 10-year vet, who has also played with Golden State and Denver, has career averages of 5.3 points and 4.0 boards.