Houston Rockets (26-12, second in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (24-15, fourth in the Western Conference)
Denver; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Rockets -2.5; over/under is 232
BOTTOM LINE: Denver hosts the Houston Rockets after Jamal Murray scored 45 points in the Denver Nuggets’ 118-99 victory against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Nuggets are 16-10 in conference play. Denver is 6-4 in one-possession games.
The Rockets have gone 17-8 against Western Conference opponents. Houston leads the NBA with 48.6 rebounds per game led by Alperen Sengun averaging 10.4.
The Nuggets’ 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.6 fewer made shots on average than the 12.4 per game the Rockets allow. The Rockets average 113.3 points per game, 2.4 fewer than the 115.7 the Nuggets allow.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is shooting 51.9% and averaging 18.7 points for the Nuggets.
Sengun is scoring 19.3 points per game with 10.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Rockets.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 8-2, averaging 122.3 points, 47.7 rebounds, 31.2 assists, 8.8 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.2 points per game.
Rockets: 7-3, averaging 114.3 points, 46.7 rebounds, 20.9 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.7 points.
INJURIES: Nuggets: DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Vlatko Cancar: out (knee).
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Rockets: Jock Landale: out (personal), Tari Eason: day to day (injury management), Jabari Smith Jr.: out (hand).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
When: Dec 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: Fight Club – 1959 16th St Mall Denver Cost: Price varies The Lowdown:
Guests have the option of $39 bottomless flatbreads, which includes the price of their oche reservation for Social Darts®. The bottomless flatbread menu features Smoked Salmon Flatbread, Four Cheese Flatbread, Breakfast Flatbread, or Garden Vegetable Flatbread. Guests can also order off the á la carte menu, which includes a fresh-cut fruit plate, breakfast sliders,, avocado toast, and Flight Club’s famous churros.
Hurricane-force winds in Colorado on Wednesday had a major impact across the Denver metro area, Front Range, and foothills. It’s a First Alert Weather Day because of the dangerous conditions.
Gusts of over 100 mph — equivalent to a category 2 hurricane — were reported in some parts of the Front Range, and over 100,000 people were without power as of 7 p.m. On Berthoud Pass, between Empire and Winter Park, wind gusts reached at least 102 mph. They reached 97 mph at Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Boulder County, 96 mph in Marshall, and 93 mph in West Arvada.
Several highways were closed, Denver International Airport saw dozens of delays, power lines and other property damage were reported, schools were closed, Denver’s holiday events were canceled, and thousands of homes and businesses were without power after Xcel’s Public Safety Power Shutoff and unplanned outages.
Power shutoff
Xcel Energy was implementing what it calls a Public Safety Shutoff, for only the second time ever in Colorado. An estimated 50,000 people across the Front Range were impacted, mostly in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties.
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Restoration for some areas was expected to start around 6 p.m. Wednesday, but many customers told CBS News Colorado that Xcel told them it could be up to three days before their power is restored.
Downed power lines are seen as a result of powerful winds near Golden, Colorado, on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025.
CBS
As a result, the Colorado Division of Emergency Management opened charging centers, shelters, and resource centers in the impacted areas.
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Xcel said it shut off the power in these areas because of the combination of wind speeds and dry conditions that increase the chance of wildfires.
Once conditions improve, Xcel Energy Colorado President Robert Kenney said crews will begin inspecting lines to determine when power can be restored.
“Once the wind event stops, that does not mean your power will be immediately restored,” he said. “We have several hundred crew members that are already being pre-positioned, that are on standby, so that when the wind event does end, they will be able to immediately begin inspecting the lines. They have to visually inspect the lines for damage before restoring the power.”
Delayed flights
The Federal Aviation Administration called for a ground delay at Denver International Airport from 5 through 8 p.m., although that’s subject to change, based on evolving weather conditions.
As of about 6:30 p.m., 66 flights were delayed, and one was canceled.
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Wind gusts were recorded at around 40 mph at the airport around 5 p.m.
School closures
Several school districts — including Jefferson County, Colorado’s second-largest — closed schools, and many also canceled after-school activities.
The University of Colorado cancelled classes, but the Buffs’ basketball game against Portland State is continuing, although fans are not allowed to attend.
Highway closures
Several highways in the foothills near Boulder, as well as in Northern Colorado up to the Wyoming state line, were closed. At least one crash also closed the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 on the Eastern Plains.
Those planned closures included:
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Highway 93 between Boulder and Arvada
Highway 36 between Boulder and Lyons
Highway 128 from Superior to Highway 93
Highway 287 between Ted’s Place and the Wyoming border closed this afternoon, but has since reopened
Damage and other closures
Power lines were reported as having fallen across the Denver metro area, adding to the number of customers without power.
A number of local businesses were also forced to close — some out of caution, others due to a lack of power.
Car and structure windows were also broken by flying debris, like this car in Boulder, whose windows were shattered by small, flying rocks.
A car window in Boulder, Colorado, was shattered by flying rocks on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025.
CBS
Despite losing power around 10 a.m., Ace Hardware in Golden remained open and kept busy, selling generators, flashlights, batteries, and tools and materials to prevent or fix damage.
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Some business owners raised concerns about what a days-long outage could mean for their companies, products, and customers.
“We could lose everything,” DeAnn Wieber, owner of the Windy Saddle Cafe in Golden, said. “We could lose all our food, the time that it took to prepare everything, and we just don’t know. And there’s are a lot of businesses going through the same thing.”
Downtown’s Mile High Drone Show, the Denver Christkindlmarket and access to the Mile High Tree have been canceled for Wednesday, Dec. 17, due to high winds, said producers at Visit Denver.
The city’s tourism arm on Wednesday morning decided to cancel the shows and outdoor holiday market for this evening “due to weather conditions,” as well as cut off access to the 110-foot LED icon known as the Mile High Tree, through which visitors can typically walk and snap selfies.
Denver is forecasted to endure wind gusts of up to 50 mph on Dec. 17, with gusts of up to 75 to 80mph possible in higher elevations. High winds, low humidity and the possibility of wildfire led Xcel Energy to cut power to more than 100,000 Front Range residents by Wednesday morning. Xcel Energy also sponsors the Mile High Tree.
Denver Christkindlmarket is scheduled to run through Dec. 23 at the Auraria Campus.
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