An unpredictable, four-game road trip ended on a high note Sunday in Houston.
Here are three takeaways from Denver’s 116-111 win over the Rockets at Toyota Center:
1. Most would’ve taken a 2-2 road trip at the outset had it been known Nikola Jokic would miss all four games, they just wouldn’t have picked the two wins correctly. The Nuggets beat two of the hottest teams in the league in Golden State and Houston, while losing to an undermanned Lakers and Trail Blazers squad. Jokic is expected to return sometime during Denver’s five-game homestand. He was wearing a sleeve on his right elbow during Sunday’s game after going through a pregame warmup. If nothing else, the wins at each end of the trip proved the Nuggets can stay afloat for as long as it takes for their star to be healthy enough to play. Denver heads home a game behind Houston in second place and a game ahead of the Lakers in fourth place. Denver returns to Houston for the regular-season finale, when playoff seeding looks likely to be on the line.
5 things learned from Denver Nuggets’ head-scratching start to road trip
2. Maybe Jamal Murray just needed a game to get rid of the rust. On paper, it looked like a tough matchup for Murray. Houston has a supremely athletic defender in Amen Thompson and one of the tougher defenders in the game in Dillon Brooks. Denver’s starting point guard came out aggressive, scoring 12 points on 10 shots in the first quarter. He scored 10 points on 10 shots against Portland on Friday. His 17-point third quarter helped break the game open, and he capped a 39-point performance with a couple of free throws that helped seal the win. He made 15 of his 28 shots, recorded seven assists with just one turnover and grabbed four rebounds to lead Denver to an important victory.
Starting Lineup: Is it still OK for Avalanche fans to hate the hapless Detroit Red Wings?
3. Starting DeAndre Jordan was the right call. Denver has been struggling on the glass, and Houston entered as the league’s best rebounding team. For all that Zeke Nnaji’s been doing well, he’s not a high-level rebounder. Alperen Sengun’s combination of size, skill and craftiness in the post would’ve been a tough cover for Zeke Nnaji. Jordan’s also a better screener and lob threat on pick-and-rolls. Jordan posted 11 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes of playing time. The 36-year-old proved he can still provide plenty of value in a win in his hometown.
Friday Faceoff: Is playoff seeding or rest more important for the Nuggets?
NUGGETS 116, ROCKETS 111
What happened: The game was tied at 27 after the first quarter and 57 at halftime. A dominant third quarter gave Denver a 17-point advantage to start the fourth and the Nuggets, 45-27, picked up a game on Houston, which remains in second-place in the Western Conference at 46-26.
What went right: Denver wasn’t great at the line, finishing the game 18 for 26, but Christian Braun, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were perfect in the clutch. Meanwhile, Houston went 22 for 34 after some clutch misses from Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun.
What went wrong: The Nuggets played a pretty clean game with just nine turnovers, but Houston turned those giveaways into 15 points. A couple of those turnovers help Houston erode Denver’s 19-point lead and make it interesting late.
Highlight of the night: Jamal Murray did it all in a 90-second span late in the third quarter to give the Nuggets a 13-point lead. First, there were a couple of contested jumpers late in the shot clock. Then, Murray got inside the Rockets defense and lobbed a pass up to DeAndre Jordan, who threw down a reverse slam while drawing a foul. Jordan even hit the ensuing free throw.
Up next: The Nuggets host the Chicago Bulls on Monday at Ball Arena.
