The Denver Nuggets defeated the Houston Rockets 116-111 behind an amazing third quarter and holding on for dear life in the fourth quarter.

The Nuggets and Rockets were tied at halftime, but a 39-22 third quarter helped Denver separate. On this road trip, the Nuggets have rarely played good offense and good defense at the same time, but they found the perfect moment in the third quarter to gain just enough separation on the road. Houston rallied in the fourth, but the Nuggets made enough plays down the stretch to hold on.

Jamal Murray scored 39 points and had seven assists compared to just one turnover in one of his best performances this season. Without Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets needed Murray to step up and he delivered, shouldering the burden against an elite Rockets defense. It didn’t matter whether it was Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet, or one of Houston’s bigs guarding him, Murray was going to cook. Tough shot after tough shot against a team the Nuggets are chasing in the playoff standings, it was a genuinely gutsy performance from Murray in a big moment for the Nuggets.

Beyond Murray, Aaron Gordon made a clutch basket in the fourth quarter with the shot clock nearly at zero, logging 13 points and eight assists as a complementary option for Murray’s scoring. Michael Porter Jr. wasn’t a big three-point shooter tonight like he often is, but he played big against a physical Rockets squad with 17 points, nine rebounds, and two assists. One of the rebounds was in the midst of Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun at the same time following a free throw missed by Jalen Green, and the Nuggets needed Porter to play big tonight against one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA.

Denver still allowed 16 offensive rebounds, but some of those issues would have been WAY worse had DeAndre Jordan not started at center. The veteran big, who hadn’t played for the previous eight games, logged an impressive 38 minutes, collecting 11 points, 15 rebounds, and four assists. He matched up well against both of Sengun and Adams, preventing the former from scoring efficiently throughout the night.

Off the bench, Russell Westbrook and Peyton Watson both had an impact as defenders. Westbrook’s clutch rotation to force a miss in the last minute of the game helped seal the deal for Denver, and he collected multiple strips on drives while shooting 2-of-4 from three on the other end. Watson also had one steal and two blocks, guarding Jalen Green among others throughout the game and helping hold the Rockets shooting guard to a relatively inefficient night.

Overall, this was a big win for the Nuggets, helping Denver even up the road trip at 2-2 without Nikola Jokic entirely.

Size Matters

It’s been eight games since DeAndre Jordan played. He’s an older vet, and there’s only so much he has left in the tank for Denver late in the season. And yet, he’s played an important role off Denver’s bench for the entire year, helping them get through games with a structured offense and defense because of his traditional rim rolling and rim protecting skill set.

So, why did Denver go away from him? I think it’s because they’re saving him for games like these. They know that Jordan is a better backup center than Zeke Nnaji against big teams. Nnaji has had to play more center lately, and it’s no coincidence that Denver’s bench, and Nnaji in particular, have struggled. Denver’s had to live through the struggles because asking Jordan to carry the burden in March will prevent him from giving what the Nuggets hope he can give in April and May.

When Jordan is out there, the Nuggets look more structured. It prevents them from going small, and there will be a time and place when they have to do that. Aaron Gordon is getting ready for what he hopes to be a long playoff run, and he knows what’s goin to happen at the beginning of second and fourth quarters in many playoff games. He will be asked to get Nikola Jokic a break for three to five minutes. Jordan has proved that Gordon may not have to do that every time. Depending on the situation and matchup, it may be more valuable for Jordan to be out there rebounding, setting screens, and drawing attention in the middle of the paint.

The Rockets, with Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun, appear to be an excellent example of that situation.

If Jordan can play, it pushes Zeke Nnaji and Aaron Gordon to the 4, which in turn pushes Michael Porter Jr. and Peyton Watson to the 3, which in turn pushes Peyton Watson and Christian Braun to the 2, which in turn lessens the backcourt pressure of Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook. Denver’s most valuable playoff trait is that they have Jokic. Their second most valuable trait is they have positional size when they don’t go small. If Denver can stay big against teams and keep up on the perimeter, it might be their ticket to sincere playoff success.

For now, it’s nice to just get a win vs a really good team.

Final Rotations