Not that Nuggets' Coach George Karl thinks the scales have been tipped in the race for the Northwest Division, but he expressed admiration for Utah's acquisition of sharpshooter Kyle Korver.

"Very disappointed," Karl said. "I was a lot of angry yesterday. A lot of cussing. They made a bad situation (possibly) be very good."

Utah traded disgruntled guard Gordan Giricek and a first-round draft pick to Philadelphia for Korver, one of the NBA's better 3-point shooters, on Saturday. Korver holds the 76ers' record for 3-pointers made in a season (226) and owns a career average of 40 percent from behind the arc.

In their best all-around effort of the season, the Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 125-105 on Wednesday night behind a triple-double by Marcus Camby, Carmelo Anthony's fourth straight double-double, Allen Iverson's spectacular 24-point performance and the much-awaited return of power forward Nene.

"If we play like that, unselfish, getting the ball to the open man, we'll win a lot of games and we'll go far this season," said Nene, who had 11 points and seven rebounds in his first game since tearing a ligament in his left thumb at Boston on Nov. 7.

So much fun were the Nuggets having in toying with the Bucks that Camby declared just before the start of the fourth quarter that he was going to reach his first triple-double in nine seasons by setting up behind the arc and letting loose.

"They told me I was three points away, and I was upset with myself because I missed some layups and free throws earlier and I said to myself, 'If I get a chance, I'm going to let it go,'" Camby said. "And luckily it went in."

Power forwards Nene and Kenyon Martin are expected to play in Wednesday's Denver-Milwaukee game, 7 P.M. at Pepsi Center.

The oft-injured Nene played the first five games this season then suffered a thumb injury that required surgery. Martin suffered a hamstring injury last Thursday and missed the Nuggets' two games this past weekend.

Nene will play limited minutes in his first game back, Denver Coach George Karl said at this morning's shootaround. This season Nene has averaged 6.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in 19.4 minutes.

Carmelo Anthony and Joe Johnson were named NBA Players of the Week on Monday.

Anthony received the award in the Western Conference after leading the Nuggets to a 2-1 record last week, collecting at least 30 points and 12 rebounds in each contest.

The 6-8 Anthony averaged 33.7 points and 13.3 rebounds in the three games this past week. He recorded season highs of 37 points and 16 boards Thursday in a 112-111 victory over the Rockets.

Johnson earned Eastern Conference honors after averaging 28.0 points and 7.3 assists, pacing the Hawks to a 3-0 record.

Martell Webster scored 19 points, while Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge each added 18 to help the Portland Trail Blazers extend their winning streak to 10 games with a 99-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

Portland, which has the longest current winning streak in the NBA, has not won as many consecutive games since the Blazers were victorious in 12 straight in the 2001-02 season.

The Nuggets signed forward-center Jelani McCoy prior to Friday's game against the Trail Blazers.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

More than a decade and five NBA stops have come and gone since Dikembe Mutombo left Denver, but a part of him remains.

He would like to see a reminder of his first five seasons in the NBA remain, too.

"I was saying that my jersey has to be retired there," Mutombo said. "Even though I'm going to retire here as a Houston Rocket, it should be retired at the Pepsi Center. There should be a Mutombo jersey hanging at the Pepsi Center."

"I don't see why not. It was the big transformation for their franchise. They went through a period (when) nothing was happening for their franchise. Myself and the guys, we had turned the thing around. I don't see why my jersey will not hang there."

With power forward Nene close to returning from a thumb injury, the Nuggets waived the veteran center Jelani McCoy today, trimming their roster to 14 players.

?It sucks," McCoy said as he left the Pepsi Center. ?You come in and you bust your tail every day, but this is a business. I knew there was a chance this could happen, so I prepared myself. It was a good experience. I stayed in shape. I?m still living the dream. I don?t have nothing to be sad about."

McCoy, who has played for six teams in eight NBA seasons, appeared in five games for the Nuggets. He said his agent told him that other teams already expressed interest in signing him.

?It?s just about going back home and enjoying a couple days for Christmas and then packing back up and doing it all over again," McCoy said.

Last December, the emotions smothered the Iverson family as the patriarch sought a trade from the 76ers, the team Allen Iverson carried for a decade in a city that adored him. One year ago today, he got his wish: a trade to the Nuggets.

"I felt like a newborn," said Iverson, the starting shooting guard. "A brand-new life, and a life I want to live. This is where I want to be."

And Iverson wants to be a Nugget for the rest of his career. The 32-year-old has said many times this season that he wants to opt out of his contract, which expires after next season, and sign a six-year deal to retire as a Nugget.

"Hopefully," he said, "this is my last stop."

Nuggets' power forward Nene, who is rehabbing after left thumb surgery, has been cleared to begin ball-handling and shooting, and he will be cleared for full basketball activity on Friday.

Denver Coach George Karl expects Nene to begin playing in games around Jan. 1. Nene will wear a small splint and tape on his thumb.

Also, Nuggets' point guard Chucky Atkins (groin) has begun full-speed running, and he has targeted a return date of Dec. 26.