Nuggets visit Clippers at Staples Center

Denver is tied with the Golden State Warriors for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets have won two in a row and are 2-1 against the Clippers this season. Denver, which has dropped four of its last five at the Clippers, has won four of the last five contests in the series.

Denver plays the second of a four-game road trip tonight. Rookie Kevin Durant poured in a career-high 37 points, hitting a pair of three-pointers that forced two different overtime periods, and the Seattle SuperSonics defeated the Nuggets, 151-147, in a double-overtime marathon on Sunday at KeyArena.

Carmelo Anthony had 38 points and 11 rebounds against Seattle, just one night after exploding for 47 points in a loss to Sacramento. Allen Iverson totaled 26 points and 13 assists, while Kenyon Martin ended with 22 points and nine rebounds.

The Nuggets are just 15-23 on the road this season. They have lost two straight as the visitor.

Los Angeles has also lost two in a row, and will play the middle contest of a three-game homestand Tuesday evening. The Clippers will act as the host on Thursday against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers at the Staples Center.

On Sunday, Aaron Brooks collected 18 points and four assists off the Houston bench, and the Rockets secured a playoff berth with a 105-79 victory over the Clippers.

Josh Powell led the Clippers with a career-high 22 points in the loss. Corey Maggette left just six minutes into the game with a strained right hamstring and did not return.

Maggette, who is averaging a team-best 22.2 points per game for the Clippers this season and center Chris Kaman (sprained right ankle) are expected to miss tonight's contest, while forward Tim Thomas (left/right Achilles inflammation) is probable.

The Clippers are 13-26 as the host this season.