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Denver Nuggets (12-15) at Charlotte Hornets (8-19), 7 p.m. (ET)

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Denver Nuggets will take a two-game winning streak into a quick eastern road trip, starting Monday night at Time Warner Cable Arena against the Charlotte Hornets.

The Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers and Indiana Pacers at Pepsi Center before embarking on a trip to Charlotte. They'll play the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, sneaking in this quick jaunt before Christmas.

Denver will be a little short-handed for a while. Forward Danilo Gallinari tore the meniscus in his right knee and, according to the Denver Post, will miss at least three weeks following surgery.

The loss is a big blow for Gallinari, who missed 18 months after two knee surgeries on his left knee. He had his best game of the season on Saturday, a 76-73 victory over the Pacers. Gallinari posted a season-high 19 points in the win.

Ty Lawson deposited 15 points with 10 assists and J.J. Hickson added 10 points off the bench for Denver, which has dropped four straight as the visitor. Timofey Mozgov pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds and tied a career high with five blocks in the win.

"Well before I met my wife, most of the women I encountered were as hot as this game was tonight. Sometimes you have to take down the ugly ones," Nuggets coach Brian Shaw joked. "We'll take it. Now we have (won) two in a row heading on the road."

The Hornets are also in the midst of a two-game winning streak with triumphs over the Philadelphia 76ers on the road Friday and a home victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

Kemba Walker scored 20 points with six assists to lead the Hornets to a 104-86 win over the Jazz. Al Jefferson posted 19 points with 10 rebounds and Gerald Henderson netted 17 points for the Hornets.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist supplied 13 points and 11 rebounds in the win.

"We've been in a lot of games this year where we had big leads and gave them up," said Jefferson. "The last two games we really played solid Hornets basketball."

Charlotte shot 48 percent from the floor and limited the Jazz to 39 percent shooting.

The Hornets are still without Lance Stephenson, who is expected to be out until after Christmas with a sprained pelvis.

The Hornets have won two in a row against the Nuggets, who had won the previous four. The two squads have split the last 12 meetings in Charlotte, although Denver has emerged victorious in two of the last three.

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