Rockets Eliminate Nuggets’ Tourney Chances in Defiant 105-86 Victory
Ousting the Champs. Balanced Equation. One More Step.
“Home is where the heart is,” and that’s certainly been the case for the Rockets, as they won their 8th straight game at home, beating the Nuggets with a defiant 105-86 victory on Friday night. The win keeps Houston’s hopes alive of advancing to the knockout stage of the In-Season Tournament. With the victory, the Rockets officially eliminated Denver from the knockout stage, as the Nuggets finished with a 2-2 record in the group stage. Jalen Green led the Rockets latest win with 25 points on an efficient 10-for-18 shooting from the floor. Alperen Sengun continues to play at an All-Star level. Houston’s center finished with 21 points, 15 boards, and 8 assists in a career-high 43 minutes of action. Sengun continues to play exemplary basketball on a nightly basis for the Rockets, and is cementing himself as the cornerstone of this franchise moving forward. Fred VanVleet scored 17 points and dished out 11 dimes, and Jabari Smith Jr. contributed a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double, as Houston used a balanced attack to beat the defending champs for second straight time this season. The Rockets had seven players score at least seven points in Houston’s most impressive win to date this season. Denver cut the lead to 9 points in the final period, but Houston ended the game on an 11-2 run to eliminate the Nuggets’ chances at victory.
Similar to how they beat the Denver in the first matchup, the Rockets focused on stopping the Nuggets’ supporting cast, and let the Joker feast. Nikola Jokic had another monster performance, registering a ridiculous 38 points, 19 rebounds, and 8 assists for the night. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 20 points, and Michael Porter Jr. chipped in 14 points, but the rest of Denver’s team combined for just 14 points against a stellar Houston defense. The Nuggets shot only 32% from the field, their worst shooting percentage in seven years. The Rockets’ defense has improved immensely since last year’s campaign. And they’ll need that defensive intensity to travel on the road if they want to move on to the knockout round of the tournament.
Up next, Houston plays their final in-season tournament group-stage game, as they travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks. The squad has one more step before they can advance to the knockout round of the In-Season Tournament: beating this talented Mavs’ team. Dallas is already eliminated from contention, holding a record of 1-2, with losses to the Nuggets and the Clippers. The Rockets are still winless on the road this season. The stakes will be high, especially for Houston, and Dallas is coming off a loss, and has high hopes for the playoffs this season. Expect a tight and close game (like the majority of Rockets road games so far this season) on Tuesday night in Dallas. Houston has the resiliency and determination to prevail. Can they stop a Mavs’ team loaded with offensive firepower? Hopefully the heart the Rockets play with at home travels with them on the road, as they seek to advance in the tourney, and earn that first win away from home.