(Best E Casino) - The streaking Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns open an important home-and-home set tonight at US Airways Center.

Denver is scheduled to host the Suns on Tuesday at the Pepsi Center.

The Suns are a half game behind the division-leading Lakers in the Pacific, while Denver is 2 1/2 games in back of the first place Utah Jazz in the Northwest.

Phoenix is tied with Houston for No. 5 in the playoff standings, and the Nuggets, Dallas and Golden State are all 45-28 and are battling for the seventh and eighth seeds in the Western Conference playoff race.

The teams have split a pair of contests this season, as both clubs picked up a win at home. Denver has lost six straight after winning its last two at Phoenix.

The Nuggets enter tonight's contest on a five-game winning streak. Kenyon Martin scored 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Denver used a big second- half run to surge past the Golden State Warriors, 119-112, at the Pepsi Center.

Carmelo Anthony scored 25 in the win over Golden State for the Nuggets, who picked up their fifth straight win and have captured eight of their last 10 games overall. J.R. Smith contributed 20 points, while Allen Iverson finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in the victory.

Denver, which has won three in a row as the visitor, is 15-21 on the road this season.

Phoenix, which attempts to earn win No. 50 for the fourth straight season, returns home after going 2-2 on a road trip. On Saturday, Amare Stoudemire dominated the paint with 33 points and 15 rebounds as the Suns edged the New Jersey Nets, 110-104, at the Izod Center.

Leandro Barbosa scored 21 points and Shaquille O'Neal added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Suns, who have won two in a row and nine of their last 11 games overall. Boris Diaw had 12 points and seven boards, while Steve Nash added a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists.

The Suns have won five in a row at home. Phoenix is 26-10 as the host this season.

Veteran Grant Hill (strained groin/sprained right wrist) is questionable for the Suns. Hill is averaging 13.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 64 games this season. He did not play against New Jersey.