The Denver Nuggets return to Pepsi Center tonight to take on a Houston Rockets team that has given them trouble in recent seasons. The Nuggets have dropped their last nine games to the Rockets. Tonight’s game starts a home-to-road back-to-back for the Nuggets as they will travel to Minnesota right after the game to take on the Timberwolves tomorrow.
The Nuggets come in to tonight’s game with a 35-15 record, a franchise best through the first 50 games of a season. Denver is just half a game back of the Golden State Warriors for first place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets are riding a four-game winning streak and are tied for the best home record in the NBA at 22-4. The Nuggets last played on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans, a 105-99 win.
The Rockets are 29-21 on the season and sit in sixth place in the Western Conference. Houston has gone just 10-13 on the road this season and are 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Rockets last played on Tuesday at home against the New Orleans Pelicans, a 121-116 loss.
The Rockets have beaten the Nuggets twice this season, once at Pepsi Center on November 13th and once in Houston on January 7th.
Here is what to watch for tonight:
Slowing James Harden: Last season’s MVP is making a strong case to repeat as the winner this season as he has been torching opposing defenses on a nightly basis. Harden is averaging 36.3 points per game on the season but has taken his scoring to a new level of late. In 14 games during the month of January, Harden is averaging 43.5 points per game. Harden hasn’t been held under 30 points since December 11th when he scored 29 points against Portland.
The Nuggets have held Harden to a lower scoring average than any other team this season. In two games against Denver this season Harden is averaging 27 points, five rebounds and 12.5 assists. Harden scored 32 points in his last game against the Nuggets.
Keeping Houston from hitting threes: In the January 7th matchup, the Rockets knocked down 22 three pointers in the game. The Rockets shot 46.8% from deep and were able to ward off any Denver momentum by hitting timely threes. The Rockets have made more threes than any other team in the league, nearly 100 more than the next closest team. Houston gets 41% of their points from beyond the arc, the most in the league.
An All-Star performance from The Joker: Nikola Jokić earned his first NBA All-Star invite last night as a reserve for the Western Conference. Jokić has been sensational all season but has been even better of late. In his last 10 games, Jokić is averaging 24.6 points, 11.1 rebounds and eight assists. Jokić has been solid in two games against Houston this season, averaging 19 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
Tonight’s game will tip at 8 pm MT and will air on ESPN, Altitude TV and the AltitudeNOW app. Fans can listen on Altitude Radio, 92.5 FM.