The Nuggets have been doing well overall this season, but have suffered a waterloo in recent games, losing two games in a row. Facing the challenge of the Rockets, the Nuggets were expected to halt their losing streak, after all, the Rockets have performed poorly on the road, and have not tasted a win on the road so far this season. The Nuggets' home record is perfect, undefeated. The Rockets adopted a new starting lineup for this game, while the Nuggets fielded the likes of Murray, Pope, Porter, Gordon and Jokic.
In the first half of the game, the Nuggets' Jokic was in poor offensive form, and the Rockets' Dillon exploded with three-pointers to help the team gradually take the lead. At halftime, the Rockets led the Nuggets by four points. In the second half of the game, although Jokic's form improved, the Rockets' VanVleet and Green found an offensive rhythm, and the Nuggets bit the score, but the difference gradually widened. At the end of the third quarter, the Rockets led by 18 points.
Entering the fourth quarter of the game, the Rockets once extended the margin to 25 points, seemingly sealing the victory. However, the Nuggets fought back in this quarter, narrowing the deficit to 13 points at one point, and saw hope of a comeback. Unfortunately, the Nuggets had too big a hole before, and despite their last-minute efforts to chase down points, they were unable to turn the game around and lost to the Rockets 106-114.
The Rockets' victory was hard-won, as they led by 25 points at one point, but the offense suddenly went silent in the fourth quarter, giving the Nuggets a chance to turn around. Thankfully, the Rockets built up a sufficient lead and held on to their victory at crucial moments. VanVleet and Green scored 26 and 25 points, respectively, and were key figures in the team's victory.
The Nuggets' loss put them on a two-game losing streak, while the Rockets' win kept them somewhat competitive. The Lakers have a chance to close the gap with the Nuggets even further after the Nuggets' loss. The Nuggets will need to find their groove in the next games to avoid being overtaken by the Lakers and slipping into third place in the West.