Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony (Towson Catholic) sat out Wednesday's game in Houston to rest a sprained left ankle.

Anthony is the NBA's second-leading scorer behind LeBron James, averaging 29.7 points per game. He also skipped Monday's win over Charlotte after hurting his ankle in Saturday's overtime win against New Orleans.

Nuggets coach George Karl says he expects Anthony to return for Friday's game in Oklahoma City.

* Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose and Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans are among a cast of 18 players selected for the Rookie Challenge.

The participants were announced Wednesday.

The game, pitting rookies against second-year players, will be played Feb. 12 in Dallas.