DENVER — Denver Nuggets forward Nene is returning to the court, 2 1/2 months after surgery to remove a malignant testicular tumor.

He planned to play about 5 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks tonight.

Nene participated in a full scrimmage Wednesday and in the team's shootaround today. Before that, he had been limited to shooting, light running and 1-on-1 drills.

Nene underwent a single dose of chemotherapy last month. He averaged 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds before his illness.

The Brazilian player took an indefinite leave of absence from the team on Jan. 11.