Feb 19, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (right) drives to the basket during the second half against the Boston Celtics at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

After a 97-90 victory over the Boston Celtics, the Nuggets travel to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Wizards (15-37). Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson led the Nuggets in the win, both scoring 26 points on the night. Lawson hurt his ankle Wednesday in practice and is listed as day-to-day as no comment on how bad the injury actually is has come out yet. Kenneth Faried came back from the All Star break energized and pulled down 16 rebounds. After being presented with his Olympic ring, Andre Iguodala went 0-7 from the floor and finished with 1 point.

In the Wizards first game back from the All Star break, they lost to the Toronto Raptors, 96-88. Bradley Beal led the Wizards, scoring 25 points. Point guard John Wall had an off night, only scoring 9 points on 1 of 12 shooting but recorded 7 turnovers. The Wizards have been struggling all season and are on now on a small two-game losing streak. Despite their lackluster season, they beat the Nuggets 112-108 back in mid-January. Beal led the Wizards again with 23 points.

Feb 13, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (2) dribbles during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The game will come down to rebounding. The Nuggets are 2nd in  the NBA in rebounding while the Wizards are 9th. Kenneth Faried is the man for Denver who fights for boards. He’s averaging 9.8 per game. On the other side, Emeka Okafor leads the Wizards with 8.7 boards per game.

Both teams have strong guard play, but with Lawson possibly out and Iguodala struggling, the Nuggets will lean on Gallinari. Look for the Wizards to put the pressure on him. On the Wizard’s side, they just traded away shooting guard Jordan Crawford, who was averaging 13.2 points per game.

Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm ET (5:00 pm MT) from the Verizon Center in D.C. 

Nene was in Denver for almost 10 years as he averaged 12.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Going into a shortened training camp with the lockout last year, Nene re-signed with the Nuggets for $67 million over five years. The deal looked to make Nene a Nugget for the majority of his career — if not his entire career. Nene struggled to come back from his ankle injuries quickly enough and battled inconsistencies. In a surprising deal, the Nuggets traded the newly extended Nene to the Washington Wizards and acquired Javale McGee in a three-team deal.

Jan 16, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Washington Wizards center Nene (42) controls the ball against Sacramento Kings power forward Chuck Hayes (42) during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Washington Wizards 95-94. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Nene went on record of saying that he was hurt at the time of the trade, but looking back, he understands why they made the move. The Nuggets were able to get the younger McGee – which they signed to a four-year deal worth $44 million in the offseason – and it allowed the offense to open up.

The Denver Post reported that Nene’s former teammates greeted him as the Wizards practiced in the Nuggets practice facility. Nene told the Washington Post that he’s looking forward to facing his former team 10 months after being traded.

“Definitely going to be emotion. Play here almost 10 years. For sure,” said Nene to the Washington Post. “I’m going to try to have fun, enjoy the game and play hard.”

Look for the 30-year-old Nene, who is averaging 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Wizards in 23 games, to come out energized and play with a chip on his shoulder. The Wizards are winners of three out of their past four games since the return of John Wall.

Despite the Wizards having just one win away from home and the Nuggets losing only twice on their home court, if ever there was a trap game for the Nuggets, this is it.