Nene, who survived cancer last season, is working hard to maintain his stamina while playing heavy minutes for the Nuggets.

"After the cancer, I don't know," Nene said. "I'm hard to get sick, you know? But now I get sick all the time."

Nene will play his 30th game tonight, which is nearly double last season's total.

"It's a lot of contact on the low post," Nene said. "That is not easy. It's extra energy. It's a lot of games and no time to rest ? back-to-back and all that stuff."

He is recording career-high averages in points (14.2), rebounds (7.6), blocks (1.5), and field-goal percentage (.615).