Originally Posted by Nba.com

The New Orleans Hornets know fast starts can be misleading after their struggles last season.

The Hornets, off to another quick start, visit the Denver Nuggets in a matchup of undefeated teams Sunday night.

New Orleans has won its first two games, beating its opponents by an average margin of 17.0 points. The Hornets started 4-0 last season, but finished 39-43 and failed to qualify for the postseason.

"It's good to have a good start, but it's still a learning process for us," New Orleans swingman Peja Stojakovic said. "I really believe we have the potential to play even better."

Denver, meanwhile, has also won its first two games and fully expects to be one of the best teams in the powerful Western Conference. An 0-3 start didn't stop the Nuggets from making the playoffs last season, when they finished with a 17-8 run that included two wins over the Hornets.

Denver and New Orleans split their four meetings in 2006-07.

The Nuggets were outplayed for most of Friday night's game against Minnesota, but rallied to win 99-91. Carmelo Anthony had 33 points while Allen Iverson added 24.

Anthony, who has predicted a 60-win season, made clutch shots and provided a veteran presence down the stretch Friday after scoring 32 points against Seattle on Wednesday night.

Iverson, meanwhile, shot just 4-for-14 from the field against the Timberwolves, but went 15-for-16 at the foul the line. He has averaged 28.1 points in 35 games against the Hornets franchise.

Marcus Camby, the 2007 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, continues to do a fine job patrolling the middle. He already has 36 rebounds and 11 blocks.

Camby is averaging 12.4 rebounds and 5.0 blocks in his last 10 games against New Orleans.

Stojakovic and Chris Paul have opened the season with two strong games for the Hornets, but Camby's presence may limit their options Sunday. Stojakovic scored 18 points and Paul 19 as the Hornets beat Portland 113-93 on Friday night.

Paul had 22 points against Sacramento on Wednesday night in New Orleans' season opener. He is shooting 64 percent (16-for-25) from the field.

Paul is averaging 14.2 points in six games against the Nuggets, but has shot only 30.9 percent (29-for-94) from the field.

Stojakovic, starting his first full season with the Hornets, is averaging 18.5 points and shooting 47 percent (8-for-17) from 3-point range. The veteran swingman is averaging 24.0 points in his last six games against Denver, making 50 percent (21-for-42) of his shots from beyond the arc during that span.

With Stojakovic leading the way, New Orleans has made 45.7 percent (21-for-46) of its 3-point attempts on the season.

Hornets first-round draft pick Julian Wright saw the first regular-season playing time of his NBA career in the second quarter Friday and hit his first shot, a short jumper in the lane. The 6-foot-8 forward was selected 13th overall out of Kansas.