Denver Nuggets defeated Houston 116-111 on Sunday night to end the Rockets’ nine-game winning streak. Jamal Murray scored 39 points, and Michael Porter Jr. contributed 17 points and nine rebounds. After Murray scored 17 points in the first half, Denver outscored the Rockets 39–22 in the third quarter to build a 96–79 advantage. Murray added 17 more points.
Aaron Gordon scored 13 points, Russell Westbrook scored 14 points off the bench, and DeAndre Jordan finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, who shot 51% and made 10 of 21 3-pointers.
Dillon Brooks contributed 21 points, and Jalen Green scored 30 points for Houston. The Rockets shot 44% and were 11 of 34 from beyond the arc. Steven Adams finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Alperen Sengun finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists.
With one and a half minutes remaining, Houston trailed 109-100. A 7-1 run put them within three points on a basket by Sengun with 21 seconds left, but Christian Braun converted two free throws with 19 seconds left to pull the lead back to five.
Key Takeaways
Nuggets: Without Nikola Jokic in the lineup, Denver improved to 2-2 after he missed his fourth consecutive game due to a left ankle impingement.
Rockets: With ten games remaining, Houston is still in second place in the Western Conference, but the Nuggets got within one game of Houston.
Crucial Moment: With 14 seconds left, Sengun made one of two free throws, and two seconds later, Murray made two more to increase the advantage to 114-108.
Key Statistic: Denver made 18 of 26 from the free throw line, while Houston made 22 of 34.
Next Up:
On Monday, Denver will host the Chicago Bulls.
On Tuesday, Houston will host the Atlanta Hawks.
