Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone appreciates the NBA's In-Season Tournament. But at the helm of a team that was 1-3 on their current road trip, Malone said his top objective was to get his ball club back to playing "Nuggets basketball."
But Friday night inside the Toyota Center, the Houston Rockets sent the Nuggets back to Denver with the fourth loss of their respective road trip in a 105-86 victory.
After scoring a season-high 34 points during their previous game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Jalen Green finished with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field, 3-of-8 from behind the arc. Alperen Şengün led the Rockets in scoring with 21 points (8-of-18 FG), 14 rebounds and eight assists.
The Rockets had a slow start to the game after Nikola Jokić scored two quick baskets to give the Nuggets a 5-0 lead. Fred VanVleet scored Houston's first points with a triple with 10:49 in the period. Green's 3-point field goal tied the game at five a few possessions later.
The Nuggets and Rockets played each other close until Aaron Holiday scored on a driving layup, which gave Houston a 21-19 lead with 2:37 left in the first quarter. Holiday's layup gave the Rockets a lead they would not relinquish while en route to a 13-0 run. He finished with seven points in the win.
Jokić had one of his best games of the season. He scored a game-high 38 points (14-31 FG), 19 rebounds and eight assists.
In-Season Tournament update:
The Rockets kept their In-Season Tournament hopes alive by defeating the Nuggets. With the win, the Rockets improve to 2-1 in Group B play, which has them in prime position to advance to the knockout round.
Up Next:
The Rockets will begin a three-game road trip Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks. The game will mark the first of their second back-to-back of the season when the Rockets face off against the Nuggets on Wednesday. They will close their road trip Saturday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tip-off between the Rockets and Mavericks is slated for 7:30 p.m. CDT.
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