Rockets Fall Behind Early in 134-124 Loss to Nuggets
Out of Gas. Green-Lit Third Quarter. Road Woes.
Limping into Denver on the second night of a back-to-back, the undermanned Rockets knew they’d be in for a tough challenge. Houston fell behind early in this contest, trailing 41-26 after the first frame. A third quarter surge allowed the squad to avoid a blowout loss, but the Rockets weren’t able to catch the Nuggets, falling 134-124 to Denver on Wednesday night. It’s Houston’s first loss to the Nuggets this season, as the Rockets won the previous two in H-Town. The absences of Fred VanVleet and Jae’Sean Tate were notable for Houston in this matchup. And Jamal Murray returned for Denver after a lengthy absence to contribute 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Regardless, the Rockets still played better than expected in a game that was lined up for them to get demolished. The Nuggets did hit the most “lucky shots”, aka jumpers that probably would go in 1 out of 10 times. These included ridiculous heaves from deep, the majority in the first quarter, allowing Denver to pull away early from Houston. Nikola Jokic recorded another triple-double, registering 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists on the night. Michael Porter Jr. added 30 points and 10 rebounds in a balanced Nuggets attack that saw seven Denver players reach double-figures in scoring.
If there’s any silver lining to be taken from this loss, it’s Jalen Green’s performance in the third quarter. He’s performed the best in third periods throughout his career. If only he could translate it to other quarters. Green led the Rockets in scoring with 26 points, with 19 coming in a third quarter as Houston attempted to cut into Denver’s deficit. He also grabbed 6 boards and dished out a career-high 9 assists, highlighting his potential as a true playmaker in the league. Alperen Sengun scored 22 points and grabbed 7 boards for the Rockets as he continues to play with the consistency Green’s searching for on a nightly basis. Jabari Smith Jr. had 15 points and 7 boards and he quietly continues his improved play as the season moves along. And we got a Cam Whitmore sighting. The Villanova product scored 8 points in 6 minutes of garbage time for Houston. Hopefully he can see more meaningful minutes soon. It would be wise for coach Ime Udoka to at least give Whitmore a chance to show his capabilities on the court. Whitmore excelled in his brief stint in the G-League, and now at least deserves a chance to display his talents to the coaching staff.
With the loss, the Rockets are now 8-8, and remain winless on the road. Houston is 8-1 at home, but their road woes have continues. Sure, they’ve had the toughest schedule in the league so far, but it’s no excuse to go winless on the road despite the competition, especially after a decent sample size (seven games). The Nuggets remain undefeated at home, as they improved to 9-0 to start the season in Denver. These teams will face off one final time next Friday night back in the Mile Hile City, this is one of the games added to the schedule during next week’s In-Season Tournament knockout round. Up next for the Rockets, they have a legitimate chance to win their first road game, as they head back to L.A. to face the Lakers for the third time this season on Saturday night. The squad is 1-1 against the Lake Show this season and have played well against them even during the Stephen Silas era. Expect a healthier, more competitive matchup in Houston’s next game as they try and snap their road skid under the bright lights of L.A.