Denver Demolition: Slow Start Dooms Rockets in 120-100 Loss to Nuggets
Rocky Start. Transitional Adjustments. Moving On.
Well, part two of the Rockets mini-series in Denver didn’t go exactly as the squad had planned. Houston never led, and trailed by as many as 33 points as they lost to the Nuggets for the second straight time, 120-100, on Wednesday night. Jamal Murray scored 26 points to lead Denver’s route, while Nikola Jokic provided 17 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds. Kevin Porter Jr. led the Rockets with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Alperen Sengun had another solid game as well for Houston, registering another double-double with 18 points and 11 boards. Jalen Green continued to struggle with his shot, as it seems the altitude really hampered Green’s performance. Green scored 16 points, and only connected one of his seven attempts from long range.
Houston was never in this game. They trailed by 13-2 to start the contest, then went on a little run to inspire false hope, as the Rockets trimmed Denver’s lead to 3 points, trailing only 20-17 midway through the first quarter. However, that was the closest Houston would get in this matchup. The Nuggets went on a devastating 27-4 run to close the quarter, leading by 20 points after the first period. The Rockets would see that lead swell to a 27 point deficit at the half. Houston played with more urgency in the second half, but it was too little too late, as the Rockets couldn’t climb out of the early first quarter hole they dug themselves. Jabari Smith Jr. continues to shoot the ball efficiently, scoring 13 points on 5-for-12 shooting. The rookie needs more looks at the basket, and his teammates need to focus on finding him the ball when he’s coming off screens on the perimeter. Houston’s improving in this area, and will mesh with Jabari’s bag of tricks as the season moves along.
Speaking of moving along, the Rockets need to wipe these last two games from their memory. It doesn’t get any easier for the squad, as they head to Phoenix to take on the Suns, who are currently first in the Western Conference. The next night they’ll head to the Bay Area to face to improving Golden State Warriors, who got off to a rough start, but have slowly began their climb back up the standings. It’s arguably the toughest back-to-back Houston will endure all season. Hopefully, they can steal one of the next two matchups. Taking both would be pretty shocking, to the league, and Rockets fans. It’s not impossible… but the plan is to secure at least one win over this upcoming brutal double-header.