Houston Rockets Survive Fourth-Quarter Collapse in Victory Over Denver Nuggets
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The Houston Rockets recorded their first road victory of the season in a 114-106 win over the Denver Nuggets. The game marked the fourth and final meeting against the Nuggets, as the Rockets took a 3-1 regular-season victory inside Ball Arena.
Jalen Green led the Rockets in scoring with 26 points on 8 of 17 shooting. He scored 10 points during the third quarter. Alperen Şengün had another solid performance against Nikola Jokić. He finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the win.
Şengün helped the Rockets find their groove early, which led to a 52-48 halftime lead. As the result of a 40-point third quarter, the Rockets had extended their lead to 25 points (103-78) with 8:26 left in the fourth period.
Unfortunately for Houston, Denver came close to completing an improbable comeback. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Nuggets went on an 18-0 run, cutting Houston's commanding lead to seven points.
The Rockets prevailed despite missing nine consecutive field goal attempts during the Nuggets' run. Fred VanVleet added 25 points and five rebounds, while Dillon Brooks scored 16 points.
Jokić had a subpar offensive performance with a team-best 23 points on 9 of 23 shooting while adding 16 rebounds and five assists. Jamal Murray scored 21 points before his fourth-quarter ejection. Michael Porter Jr. added 20 in the loss.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) and Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) during the first quarter at Ball Arena
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Rockets end two losing streaks:
By defeating the Nuggets, the Rockets ended two losing streaks simultaneously. The Rockets ended an eight-game road losing streak amid their first win away from the Toyota Center. They also concluded a 10-game losing streak in Denver. November 2018 marked the last time the Rockets recorded a road victory on the Nuggets' homecourt.
Up Next:
The Rockets will open a two-game homestand, which will begin Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs. Two nights later, they will welcome the Memphis Grizzlies to the Toyota Center on Dec. 13. Tip-off between the Rockets and Spurs is slated for 7:00 p.m. CDT.
