Back to the grind. The Hornets take on the Nuggets this evening to start a hellish stretch of games (combined winning percentage of next six opponents: .685). Tonight’s tip is 8:30 Central, and you can catch it on TNT.

The Hornets and Nuggets met just last week in New Orleans, when the Nuggs finished strong to grab a 102-95 victory despite a spirited effort by the Bees. Carmelo Anthony led Denver in that one with 32 points, while David West scored 30 for New Orleans. The Nuggets lead the season series 2-1.

Denver has played three games since that last meeting, winning two of them. Their record now stands at 46-22 overall, and 29-5 at home. Kenyon Martin (knee) and Ty Lawson (shoulder) are still out. Chris Andersen might also be unavailable tonight, as he’s been battling knee and finger problems and missed Tuesday’s win over the Wizards due to a sprained ankle.

The Hornets are coming off a disappointing loss to the Warriors in Oakland last night, and didn’t arrive at their Denver hotel until almost 4 a.m. this morning. Combine that with tonight’s game being their fourth in five nights on the road, and it could well be a bloodbath. Better news: Chris Paul continues to work his way back from injury, and may return within the next week. He looked pretty good warming up a few days ago.

Numbers:

Pace: Nuggets 97.8 (5th), Hornets 95.1 (15th)
Offensive Efficiency: Nuggets 109.5 (2nd), Hornets 104.7 (15th)
Defensive Efficiency: Nuggets 104.4 (16th), Hornets 106.6 (18th)

Linkage:

• Earlier on the blog: Missing the clutchness of Chris Paul
• Standings: The Hornets are 8 games behind the 8th-place Blazers with 13 games left to play.
• Rival bloggers: Denver Stiffs | Roundball Mining Company (THN) | The Nugg Doctor

(Many thanks to Dariusz for today’s banner featuring Sean Marks. Be sure to check out more of Dariusz’s designs in our Wallpapers vault.)