HOUSTON — In a thrilling contest on Sunday night, Jamal Murray emerged as the standout player, scoring a remarkable 39 points to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 116-111 victory over the Houston Rockets. The win brought an end to the Rockets’ impressive nine-game winning streak.
Murray’s performance was instrumental, particularly in the third quarter where he tallied 17 of his total points. During this quarter, Denver outperformed Houston 39-22, establishing a 96-79 advantage.
Contributing to the Nuggets’ success, Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Meanwhile, from the bench, Russell Westbrook scored 14 points. Aaron Gordon was impactful with 13 points and eight assists, while DeAndre Jordan secured 11 points along with 15 rebounds. The team shot 51% from the field and converted 10 out of 21 attempts from beyond the arc.
Despite the loss, Houston’s Jalen Green was a force, scoring 30 points. Dillon Brooks backed him up with an additional 21 points. Alperen Sengun showcased his versatility, posting a triple-double with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Steven Adams contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Rockets, who finished with a 44% shooting percentage and made 11 out of 34 shots from the three-point line.
Late in the game, with the Nuggets leading 109-100 and 1 ½ minutes on the clock, Houston made a valiant effort to close the gap. A 7-1 run brought them within three points after a Sengun layup with 21 seconds on the clock. However, Christian Braun’s two successful free throws with 19 seconds remaining secured Denver’s lead.
In the absence of star player Nikola Jokic, who missed his fourth consecutive game due to a left ankle impingement, Denver managed to even their record at 2-2 without him. The victory also allowed the Nuggets to creep closer to Houston’s standing in the Western Conference, where the Rockets currently hold second place with just 10 games left in the season.
As the game wound down, a missed opportunity arose when Sengun sank only one of two free throws with 14 seconds left. Murray capitalized on this, making two free throws shortly after to stretch the lead to 114-108.
A notable statistic from the game was Houston’s performance at the free throw line, completing 22 of their 34 attempts, compared to Denver’s 18 of 26.
Looking ahead, Denver is set to host the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, while Houston will face off against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.