NUMBERS GAME

8 times, including Friday against Houston, Nuggets guard Yakhouba Diawara has gone scoreless while playing 15 minutes or more.

"I'm sure you probably got some numbers that are scary," said coach George Karl, who is not overly worried about Diawara's offense and started him against the Rockets to use his defensive ability against Tracy McGrady.

LOSING END

Nuggets center Jamal Sampson, who attended California of the Pacific-10, was on the short end of a bet with video coordinator Jack Murphy, who attended Arizona. With the Wildcats beating the Bears 70-65 on Thursday, Sampson had to go through the Friday shootaround wearing a Wildcats jersey bearing the name of former player Rick Anderson.

"I had to pay up," Sampson said. "You lose a few."

Had Arizona lost, Murphy would have had to wear Sampson's former California jersey.

LOOKING BACK

For the third time this season, the Nuggets wore retro uniforms from the 1967-68 Denver Rockets.

"I think the front office figured that they could sell on TV games, so that's why we're wearing them on an ESPN game," forward Carmelo Anthony said, jokingly.

HE SAID IT

"The last 25 games, he's shooting the ball probably as well as anybody on the team."

Karl on swingman Linas Kleiza.