(Sports Network) - A groin injury to Denver Nuggets center Nene could hinder the team's success down low, but the two-time defending Northwest Division champions will try to push on starting with Friday's tilt with the Los Angeles Clippers from the Pepsi Center.
Nene apparently suffered the problem in a loss to the New Orleans Hornets last Friday and continued to play through pain, posting 12 points and 12 rebounds in a win against Houston the following night. He did not dress in Denver's 102-101 loss versus Dallas on Wednesday and is listed as questionable tonight.
Disgruntled forward Carmelo Anthony, who wants to be traded, missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer in that one and ended with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Arron Afflalo netted 17 points, while both Chauncey Billups and Al Harrington each scored 16 points for the Nuggets, who have alternated wins and losses over their first four games of the season.
"We had a couple of missed opportunities that was the difference between us winning and losing," Harrington said.
The Nuggets will begin a three-game road trip through Dallas, Chicago and Indiana after tonight's home game versus the Clippers.
Los Angeles finally registered its first win under new head coach Vinny Del Negro with Wednesday's 107-92 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the finale of a three-game homestand.
Eric Gordon had 27 points, rookie Blake Griffin muscled his way to 18 points and nine rebounds and fellow first-year player Eric Bledsoe added 17 points and eight assists for the Clippers, who made 52.5 percent of their shots.
"It feels really good," Gordon said after beginning the year 0-4. "We grinded it out and put it together, and beating a good team like Oklahoma City made it feel even better."
LA went 1-2 on the homestand and will commence a four-game road trip tonight against the Nuggets. Jazz, Hornets and Spurs. Clippers guard Baron Davis is expected to miss Friday's game with a cyst behind his left knee. Davis hasn't played in the last two games.
Denver won two of three meetings with the Clippers last season and is 9-1 in the previous 10 contests in this series. Los Angeles is winless in its last seven visits to the Rocky Mountains.
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