Depending on the flow of the game, tonight could be the return of guard Anthony Carter, who has missed the entire season because of a broken bone in his right hand.

"I'm ready," Carter said following this morning's shootaround.

Whether he plays remains to be seen.

"I don't think about it a lot; I kind of know what my guys can do," Nuggets' Coach George Karl said. "The game kind of dictates my feelings and how I want to play, and we'll make those decisions as the game happens."

Meanwhile, the Nuggets will be without forward Linas Kleiza, who sprained his left ankle during Wednesday's game at the Los Angeles Clippers. Karl said Kleiza will not return until Tuesday, meaning he will miss Saturday's game at Houston.

Kleiza, who sprained the same ankle in the preseason, wore a walking boot Friday.

"Hopefully, I'll be back soon," he said. "I stepped on a foot then and I stepped on a foot again. It's just bad luck."