Forward Kenyon Martin's value to the Nuggets was quite evident in Tuesday's 107-95 loss at Charlotte. Although he was in uniform, he sat out the game with a dislocated left pinkie suffered Monday at Philadelphia.

Without Martin, the Nuggets gave up 5.5 points more than their seasonal average and were outrebounded 43-35.

It's the second game Martin has missed this season. He sat out Nov. 7 at Atlanta due to a leg injury, and the Nuggets were walloped 125-100 while being outrebounded 44-36.

Martin could be back as soon as Thursday at Detroit. His teammates sure hope so.

"He always spearheads our defense, and we depend on that," said Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups. "His toughness, his grit and his grind are there and we feed off that. It's kind of like, when you've got your defensive player that is play as hard as he is, everybody else has to put forth a great effort."

Nuggets coach George Karl believes Tuesday might have been different had the Nuggets had Martin.

"Kenyon does a great job on reads," Karl said. "(Charlotte's) penetration surprised us and Kenyon can cover that."

BOBCATS 107, NUGGETS 95: The Nuggets looked like a tired bunch, and it showed at the end.

Host Charlotte outscored Denver 20-8 to close Tuesday's game and get the win. That stopped a four-game winning streak for the Nuggets (4-0), who had regained much of their focus after an embarrassing 106-100 loss Nov. 29 to Minnesota.

But the Nuggets were playing their second game of a back-to-back situation after being in Philadelphia the night before. And they had played Saturday at San Antonio.

Forward Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 34 points, but got a costly foul and technical with 52.6 seconds left. With the Bobcats up 99-93, Anthony was called for a foul on Charlotte guard Stephen Jackson and protested it. Jackson then made three free throws, including the technical, and that was the game.

Jackson and forward Gerald Wallace both had 25 points for the Bobcats. Wallace also grabbed 16 rebounds.

"He's a great athlete who does and can get to the rim on everybody," Nuggets coach George Karl said of Wallace. "He's a very good rebounder."

The Nuggets conclude a four-game road trip Thursday at Detroit.