Houston's 110–100 win over Denver on Monday night was a useful test of nerve as much as shot-making. The Rockets led by as many as 19, watched that advantage disappear in the third quarter, then found enough defensive resistance and late offence to end a two-game losing streak. Kevin Durant scored 23 points, while Alperen Şengün supplied 20 as Houston improved to 8–3. It wasn't a clean win, but the response to Denver's surge was the part that mattered.
The Rockets' opening-half control came from the perimeter and the extra possessions they created. They led 32–24 after one quarter and 54–40 at the break, having repeatedly forced Denver to defend beyond the arc. Houston finished with 14 made threes to the Nuggets' eight, a six-shot difference worth 18 points in a game decided by 10. That shooting advantage gave the hosts room to absorb a stretch in which almost nothing went right.
Denver made that stretch hurt. Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Cameron Johnson hit threes during an 18–2 third-quarter run that dragged the Nuggets level at 60–60. Houston missed nine consecutive field-goal attempts during the spell, and a lead that had looked comfortable suddenly demanded a different kind of performance. Tari Eason finally ended the field-goal drought, beginning an 11–2 Houston reply. The Rockets took a 77–68 advantage into the last period rather than allowing Denver to carry the momentum home.
There was more than one creator in Houston's recovery. Durant added 12 rebounds and eight assists to his 23 points, while Şengün finished with 11 rebounds and eight assists alongside his 20 points, according to the game reports. Those passing totals help explain why Houston could keep finding workable possessions even when its jumpers stopped falling. The pair weren't simply alternating isolation attempts; they gave the Rockets two places from which to organise the attack and make Denver defend a second action.
Murray still threatened to steal the game. His 38 points led everyone, and he helped reduce the margin to four inside the final seven minutes. Jokić finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds. But Houston answered with a short Şengün basket and a Fred VanVleet three, before further inside scores from Şengün and Amen Thompson restored a 10-point cushion. The Nuggets' comeback had been real; so was Houston's ability to close the door after it.
The Rockets also gave themselves more chances on the glass. Their 15 offensive rebounds compared with Denver's seven, and the official box-score totals show 29 Houston assists against 20 for the Nuggets. Neither number tells the entire tactical story, but together they describe a team creating repeat opportunities and sharing the burden of execution. That's particularly valuable against a Denver side capable of turning a handful of empty trips into a rapid scoring run.
Jabari Smith Jr. chipped in 14 points, with VanVleet and Eason adding 12 apiece. Those contributions mattered because Denver's scoring was heavily concentrated in Murray and Jokić. When Houston needed an answer, it didn't have to ask Durant to manufacture every shot. Reed Sheppard, Smith and VanVleet each supplied timely perimeter scoring in the fourth quarter, widening the set of players Denver had to respect.
Houston's next challenge is a meeting with Golden State, whose winning streak makes it a sharp follow-up examination of the Rockets' ball movement and defensive organisation. The Denver result offers a clear benchmark: Houston can build a lead with threes, but its more encouraging quality was recovering its structure after losing it. Against another dangerous offence, that composure may be worth more than the early cushion.
Official game box score: https://www.nba.com/game/den-vs-hou-0022600208/box-score
Contemporary match reports: https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/rockets-take-early-lead-then-fend-off-late-surge-by-nuggets-win--flm-2026-11-10/ and https://www.foxsports.com/articles/nba/durant-and-sengun-power-the-rockets-past-the-nuggets-110100-to-snap-a-2game-skid
Comments