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Slumping Cavaliers visit Nuggets

Jan 19, 2007 - 3:53 PM Cleveland (23-15) at Denver (18-17) 10:30 pm EST

DENVER (Ticker) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers continue their seven-game road trip with a stop in Denver against the Nuggets on Friday.

The Cavaliers, 2-3 on the trip, have been sputtering lately in losing three of their last four. Cleveland, the top club in the Eastern Conference, suffered its latest defeat in a 94-76 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

LeBron James, whose 26.8 points-per-game average is the seventh-highest in the NBA, scored 23 points to lead Cleveland, but he only shot 8-of-21 from the floor.

The Nuggets snapped a two-game losing streak in a 109-93 road triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.

Guard Allen Iverson, whose 29.4 points per game average is the third-highest in the league, led the Nuggets with 32 points. Iverson has been a tremendous addition for the Nuggets, averaging 27.3 points per game since coming to Denver.

Steve Blake, who Denver acquired in a December 11 trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, scored 25 points in Sunday's win.

The Nuggets will again be without league-leading scorer Carmelo Anthony (31.6 average), who is still serving a 15-game suspension for his role in a brawl against the New York Knicks on December 16.