Rockets Hold Off Nuggets, 114-106, Earn First Road Win
Road Warriors. 8:26 to Live. Thrice as Nice.
Finally, after a long enduring wait, Houston got their first road win of the season. The Rockets held-off a late, furious Denver rally to beat the Nuggets, 114-106, on Friday night. Houston led by as many as 25 points, and appeared on their way to a blowout victory. However, the squad morphed into cruise control in the fourth quarter. An Aaron Holiday jumper with 8:26 remaining was the last basket the Rockets would make for the game. The Nuggets went on an 18-0 run to make the proceedings interesting, but Houston managed to hang on for the win. Luckily, they were able to make enough free throws and play solid enough defense to withstand Denver’s comeback attempt.
Fred VanVleet led Houston in scoring with 26 points. Jalen Green added 25 as he had his second consecutive consistent game playing in the altitude of Denver. Green had 26 in the first matchup in the Mile High City. The Rockets need their young guard to start stringing efficient performances together. Green’s biggest weakness in his early career has been his inconsistency. Well, Green was on tonight, and he’ll look to keep rolling when Houston returns home for a couple of games at Toyota Center. Alperen Sengun registered 17 points, 10 boards, and 7 assists against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. The Joker led Denver with 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists, but even those gaudy numbers are indicate a below-average performance from Jokic, who was stifled by the Rockets defense once again.
The victory is Houston’s first road win in nine tries this season, as the team is currently 1-8 on the road. They’ve played a brutal schedule so far, one that will ease up in the coming weeks. The loss is Denver’s first home loss of the campaign, and their first loss in the Mile High City since last March. The victory also breaks a losing streak of ten games in Denver for Houston dating back several years. That’s how dominant the Nuggets have been at home. The Rockets came in and earned their most impressive victory of the season, despite almost collapsing in the fourth quarter. Houston also became the first team to beat Denver three times in a season since 2021-2022, two years ago. Up next, the Rockets return home to face the Spurs, and then the Grizzlies. Two very winnable games for Houston as long as they don’t take their foot off the gas as they did with 8:26 remaining in Denver. Finally… the Rockets schedule eases up with some upcoming very winnable games as the squad returns home.