Friday's Nuggets report

Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News

Saturday, November 10, 2007

TOUGH-LUCK NENE

Coach George Karl was "saddened" to see Nuggets forward Nene hurt again. He's out six weeks after tearing a left thumb ligament.

"He was tuned and primed to have a special year," Karl said. "There's a mental frustration that I'm sure he's going through."

At least forward Kenyon Martin, recovering from knee surgery, no longer is restricted to one game this month in back-to-back situations. Martin started Friday and now will be restricted to about 25 minutes nightly.

IVERSON GUESTS

Two Hampton, Va., women helped by Nuggets star Allen Iverson in a Virginia car accident in August attended the game Friday as Iverson's guests.

Eileen Mellon, 17, was the driver and Ashlee Skweres, 17, the passenger when their car flipped over at night. Mellon then saw Iverson and two friends arriving to help.

"I looked up and said, 'Oh, my God. Are you Allen Iverson?' I was in shock," Mellon said. Neither woman was seriously injured.

Iverson later had someone check on them at the hospital.

"He's a celebrity and, even though he didn't have to stop, he did," Mellon said.

HE SAID IT

"How do you get three point guards (hurt)? Is there a sniper or an assassin up there saying, 'OK, we're going to take out his point guards?' "

Karl, on injured Chucky Atkins, Anthony Carter and Mike Wilks.