3 Takeaways From Nuggets' NBA Cup Win Over Rockets

The Nuggets have had one of the NBA's top defenses all season long, and Friday night's showcase in Houston certainly proved why.

The Rockets' 109 points scored is their lowest mark of the season, and it started with the Nuggets holding Houston to just 12 points in the opening period. Of course, the Rockets pieced things together after that, but the Nuggets did all they could to slow down the NBA's top-ranked offense on Friday night.

Rockets superstar Kevin Durant was held to just 13 points on 5-14 shooting, while Alperen Sengun finished with just 14 on 6-15. Sure, Reed Sheppard turned heads with a career-high 27 points off the bench, but if the Nuggets knew before the game that Sheppard would be scoring as much as Durant and Sengun combined, I think they would be happy with that result.

How many starters does this team have?

The Nuggets made it clear that they were addressing their lack of depth this offseason, and those major acquisitions could not be paying off more. The Nuggets have eight players on their roster who could be legitimate starters on a high-level NBA team, especially when guys like Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas are playing at their best.

With Watson filling in for an injured Christian Braun, the Nuggets' starting lineup has barely taken a hit. That is not to say Braun is not valuable, because the Nuggets would love to have him back, but it more so shows Denver's incredible depth in having a guy like Watson come in and be a seamless fit.

With Aaron Gordon suffering a hamstring strain just three minutes into Friday's game, the Nuggets practically went the entire night down two starters, and you could barely tell. This season's Nuggets team has so many weapons, and while they would love to have all of their players healthy and back on the floor, they are fortunate to have this many difference-makers to mitigate the impact of their injuries.

NBA Cup hopes stay alive

It is no secret that there are plenty of NBA fans out there who do not care about the NBA Cup, and frankly, many players as well, but it is worth noting that the Nuggets are currently sitting in the driver's seat in Group C.

With a win on Friday night, the Nuggets move into first place in Group C of the NBA Cup with a 2-1 record and a +26 point differential. With just one Group Play game to go, as they host the San Antonio Spurs next week, the Nuggets can clinch their spot in the knockout round with a win, although they can still advance with a loss, but it would come down to a point differential tie breaker that they would rather not worry about.

Even if players do not care about winning the NBA Cup, getting to the knockout round and being able to simulate a playoff environment with an elimination on the line is worth the experience.

The Nuggets now move on to face the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back on Saturday.

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