On January 16th, Beijing time, in an NBA regular season game, the Houston Rockets defeated the Denver Nuggets 128-108 on the road, securing their fifth consecutive victory. Although they still have a noticeable gap from the first place Thunder in the Western Conference, this winning streak has solidified their position as second in the West. The Nuggets, on the other hand, saw their four-game winning streak come to an end with this loss, remaining in fourth place in the West.
Prior to the game, the Nuggets announced that Jokic would be out due to injury. Without their star player, the team's overall competitiveness took a hit. Despite strong performances from Murray and Westbrook, they were unable to withstand the more aggressive Rockets. In the second quarter, the Rockets went on a 41-25 run, extending the lead to over 20 points. The Nuggets continued to fight back, but without Jokic, they were significantly weakened on both ends of the court, ultimately suffering a crushing defeat at home and ending their winning streak.
Without Jokic, Murray continued his hot streak from the previous game, scoring 22 points with 8-of-14 shooting, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Westbrook also contributed 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, while Braun added 22 points. However, even with these efforts, the Nuggets were mostly dominated by the Rockets, showing little resistance. Jokic's absence had a significant impact on the team, and the other players were unable to fill the void left by his departure.
On the Rockets' side, the team maintained their recent hot form, especially young core player Jalen Green, who once again exploded for a big game. He scored 34 points and 5 assists in just three quarters of play, shooting 10-of-16 overall and 6-of-10 from deep. In the second quarter, Green went 4-for-4, scoring 15 points to help extend the lead, and in the third quarter, he added another 13 points and 3 assists to help fend off the Nuggets' counterattack. With the score difference too large, Green did not return for the final quarter, once again proving to be the key to the Rockets' victory. Notably, Green has now scored over 20 points in seven consecutive games, averaging 30.6 points, becoming the Rockets' absolute go-to player and beginning to show leadership qualities.
In addition to Green, four other Rockets scored in double figures: Shen Jing scored 20 points with 9 rebounds and 8 assists on 9-of-21 shooting; Amen had 11 points and 9 rebounds; Van Jordan contributed 16 points and 8 assists; and White Moore added 16 points and 9 rebounds. The team once again demonstrated a balanced attack, with everyone contributing. As the season progresses into the middle stages, the Rockets are becoming increasingly stable in their performance. If they can maintain this level of play, they will likely return to the playoffs this season.