There will be a meeting with Melo.

Nuggets coach George Karl said he will talk this weekend in Sacramento to forward Carmelo Anthony, who has been struggling of late.

"You go in and open the door and see where it goes," Karl said of what the conversation might entail before the Nuggets face the Kings on Sunday afternoon.

Anthony continues to lead the NBA in scoring with a 29.9 average, but he called his play "terrible" in the second half of Friday's 95-82 loss to Detroit. After scoring just 17 points against the Pistons, Anthony's average dropped under 30 for the first time since games entering Nov. 14.

"He's had a heavy year and the fantastic thing in the NBA is you can shake it off in about a week," Karl said of Anthony, who was suspended for 15 games earlier this season for his role in a Dec. 16 brawl. "All you got to do is go out and keep working hard and keep focusing and playing hard.

"He's too talented not to break out of it. It's like a baseball hitter. They all go into slumps, but they’re not very far from going 4-of-4."

Anthony, who won't use as an excuse any distraction due to last Wednesday's birth of his first child, has averaged 22.3 points on 38.4 percent shooting in his past four games.

"In the last couple of games, I haven't really been feeling like myself out there," said Anthony, averaging 26.1 points and 5.1 turnovers in eight games since the All-Star break. "When you know you can do so much out there and you're not living up to that, it feels like a failure in my eyes."

Anthony shot just 6-of-21 and committed seven turnovers Friday. In the second half, he shot 0-of-6 and his only point came on a technical foul shot.

"If I was a coach, I'd have sat me down in the second half the way I was playing," Anthony said after the game.

Karl said both Anthony and Allen Iverson were excused from Saturday's light workout due to having played heavy minutes.

SMITH MAKES TRIP: At least J.R. Smith has a chance to play Sunday.

The Nuggets guard, who has missed six of the past seven games following left knee surgery, said Friday he didn't plan to travel to Sacramento and didn't foresee playing at the earliest until Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

But Smith, who went through Saturday's workout, said athletic trainer Jim Gillen recommended he travel. He's listed as doubtful against the Kings.

"I don't know," Smith said of whether he might play. "It depends on how I feel (before the game)... If I have to (give the team a few minutes), I got to."

Karl said after Saturday's practice he had "no idea" whether Smith might play. Smith underwent arthroscopic surgery Feb. 21, and was ruled out three-to-four weeks. But he did get in at the end of a lopsided win last Tuesday against the Hornets, admitting afterward he wasn't really ready.

Denver's outside shooting has been erratic with Smith out. He's the team's top three-point threat.

Even if Smith doesn't play Sunday, he called it important to have the "camaradarie" of being with the team.

CHECKING IT OUT: Late in Friday's game, Anthony said a fan behind the Nuggets bench went "overboard," giving him "uncalled for" harsh criticism. Karl said Saturday he has asked Nuggets officials to look into the incident.

"I think we've got to handle it professionally, whatever that means," Karl said. "I don't know the details at all.. When you lose as many home games as we have (the Nuggets are 16-17 at the Pepsi Center), you're going to have some people get rowdy."

Anthony said he didn't talk back to the fan. He said the fan "said something like, 'Melo, you suck' (and) 'Why you here in Denver?' or something like that.'"

ETC.: Nuggets assistant Mike Dunlap said Saturday he hasn't been contacted by New Mexico. The Albuquerque Tribune on Friday linked him to the open Lobos job... The Nuggets will face Kings forward Ron Artest, who was reinstated Saturday after being excused from the team after last Tuesday's arrest on suspicion of domestic violence... Had Boise State beaten New Mexico State in a WAC tournament semifinal Friday, Karl would have attended Saturday's final in Las Cruces, N.M., to see his son Coby play. But the Broncos fell 88-69, likely ending Coby's college career. "I think he'll be depressed for a few days," said Karl, who talked to Coby after the loss and believes Boise State only has an outside chance at an NIT bid. "I think he'll be down." ... The Nuggets (29-31) haven't beaten a team that currently has a winning record since Jan. 20 at Houston, two days before Anthony and Iverson played together for the first time. They're 0-7 in such games since then. "Everybody should be worried," said forward Eduardo Najera. "We're not playing well right now."

tomassonc@RockyMountainNews.com