Defensive woes evident as Nuggets explode against Rockets

Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports

The good news for the Rockets is that the worst of the early season is behind them. The bad news was that it didn't end in a pretty way.

The Denver Nuggets had their way with the Houston Rockets on Monday night, cruising to a 124-111 win over the Rockets without much of a struggle. Houston's nine-man rotation once again was exposed against a formidable opponent on the road.

The game was at its most competitive in the first quarter, with a tight back-and-forth between the two former playoff teams. Despite committing four fouls in the game's first two minutes, Houston kept it tight behind an offensive clinic from Christian Wood, who nailed three consecutive three pointers early on.

As he often does, however, Nikola Jokic proved too much for the defense to handle, lighting up the stat sheet en route to a 18 point first half, to go along with seven assists. He was a driving force behind a 14-0 run at the end of the first quarter that saw Denver take an early double-digit lead. Houston wouldn't lead the rest of the game.

Much like the first game, the Rockets' second unit, comprised of younger, inexperienced players, got pushed around by Denver's bench. The bench unit had more turnovers than points in their limited minutes in the waning minutes of the first quarter, and had only nine points midway through the contest.

Despite Houston shooting the ball well from deep (41% on the night as a team), Denver had their way with a gassed and poorly-conditioned Rockets team, going 53% from the floor and 45% from three-point range. James Harden (34p/8a/6r, 10/16 FG%) and Wood (23p) tried their hardest to keep the team in it, but it ultimately wasn't enough.

"We expect to play well, we expect to win," coach Stephen Silas said to the press after the loss. "We just have to learn from it, grow from it, and get better from it."

Thankfully, reinforcements seem to be on the way for the depleted team. Co-star John Wall is set to clear quarantine should he continue to test negative for the COVID-19 virus until Thursday, along with DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Gordon, and Ben McLemore. The return of the four rotation regulars will add some fresh legs to the squad while also eliminating some of the inexperience on the second unit. Eric Gordon's presence in particular will be a stabilizing factor for the Rockets.

The Rockets, 0-2 with a bit of bad luck involved, will get a chance for their first win (and hopefully a full roster) against the Sacramento Kings on New Year's Eve Thursday night, where they will also unveil their new jerseys and stylized court. Tip-off will be at 6 PM.