Iverson and Anthony going for 8 wins in a row.

Oh, so this is what the Denver front office had in mind when it paired Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson.

The two All-Stars are both playing their best basketball of the season and, as expected, the Nuggets are rolling.

When Iverson was traded from Philadelphia in December, the meshing of Melo and A.I. was seen as some type of wild experiment by mad scientists.

And the cynics couldn't wait to weigh in.

"They both dominate the ball, this will never work."

"They will be fighting over who gets to take the shots at crunch time."

"Neither one of them is going to be willing to accept a lesser role."

As it turns out, none of the concerns voiced through the media have been a problem.

Anthony and Iverson have both put up their numbers and, equally as important, they get along both on and off the court.

Further proof that head coach George Karl and Co. knew exactly what they were doing is the fact that Denver currently has a league-best six-game winning streak.

The Nuggets (41-36), who have won seven of their past 10, have passed the Lakers for the sixth spot in the Western Conference.

In a season where they have struggled because of suspensions, trades and injuries, the Nuggets are building confidence at the right time.

Anthony is scoring 29 points per game while Iverson is averaging 26.6. They are the highest scoring duo in the NBA and capable of giving a scare to, but not beat, the Suns or Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

Their best showing of the season was March 17 when they blew out the Suns, 131-107. In that contest, Iverson had 44 points and 15 assists, while Anthony scored 29.

The two biggest reasons why the Anthony-Iverson combination has worked is becoming more and more clear.

For starters, Denver is playing better defense now than it has all season.

Secondly, despite the scoring titles, despite averaging more points per game besides everyone in NBA history except Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan and despite being the league MVP in 2001, Iverson has been willing to defer slightly to Anthony.

The former Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star Game MVP is scoring a little less and allowing Melo to attempt the big shots.

And right now, it is working.