Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups will miss two games to give his strained left groin time to heal.

Billups, averaging 17.1 points and 5.7 assists, injured the groin Dec. 16 against the Rockets and sat out three straight games. The All-Star point guard returned on Christmas Day in Portland but didn't play in the second half of a 107-96 loss.

The Nuggets said in an injury update that the move was "not a setback" and the goal was to avoid a "lingering problem." The Nuggets lost to the Mavericks at home on Sunday and will travel to Sacramento on Monday. They then will be off until traveling to Utah on Saturday.

AP