The Denver Nuggets had their stars available Monday night in Houston, but that did not save them from an ugly 110-100 loss to the Rockets.
After winning four of their previous five, Denver came in with a little momentum and a few questions about whether the full starting group would even be out there. In the end, everyone suited up. The result still turned flat in a hurry.
Nikola Jokic was one of the few bright spots for Denver. The three-time MVP put together a line that looked much more like the player fans expect: 25 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists and two blocks on 11-21 shooting. He still missed all but one of his five attempts from deep, and the Nuggets never found enough around him to turn his night into a win, but his early-season wobble has at least started to fade.
Jokic’s performance mattered because Denver’s season has not exactly put him in the MVP conversation yet. At 5-4, the Nuggets are still trying to find a rhythm while names like Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama are producing at another level. Even so, Jokic is reminding everyone he remains one of the league’s premier talents.
Jamal Murray gave Denver everything he had and then some. He led all scorers with 38 points, hitting 14 of 23 shots and 5 of 8 from three.
After opening the season with a rough six-point outing, Murray has caught fire. Over his last eight games, he has averaged 28.3 points and 6.0 assists, and he has already posted 35 or more points four times in nine games this season, including three games with at least 38.
Still, even that kind of night could not cover for the rest of the roster. Denver has leaned heavily on its top two scorers, and the gap between them and everyone else showed up again in Houston.
Aaron Gordon had a rough one. He finished with three points, five rebounds, two assists and three turnovers on 1-6 shooting while having a hard time dealing with Kevin Durant and the Rockets’ offense. Gordon has struggled through much of the season, and this was another tough step in that direction.
The problems did not stop with Gordon. Denver had no double-digit scorers beyond Jokic and Murray, and Gordon, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson combined for just 15 points. The bench did not give the Nuggets much help either, with none of the reserves knocking down a three-pointer.
Rebounding was another sore spot. The Nuggets have been fighting that battle all season, ranking 21st in the league in rebounds per game and losing the glass more often than they win it.
Monday followed that same script. Jokic grabbed a season-high 16 boards, but the rest of the team combined for only 23.
Denver finished with 39 rebounds to Houston’s 51.
Maybe the travel played a part. Maybe the team just did not have enough in the tank.
But there was also a clear lack of effort on display in Houston. It is one loss against a strong opponent on the road, not a season-defining disaster.
Still, the Nuggets will need to show this was the exception, not the new normal.
In Other News...
Nuggets Suddenly Face A Major Availability Problem In Houston
The Nuggets trip from Mexico City has already turned into more than a routine travel day, and now the team is carrying a crowded injury report into Houston. Denver has listed Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Christian Braun and DeMar DeRozan as questionable for the upcoming game, leaving plenty of uncertainty around how much of the rotation will actually be available.
Jokic is dealing with an elbow injury, which adds another layer to a situation already complicated by the plane delays after the Mexico City game. Denver is expected to update his status and the rest of the injury report before tipoff, but for now the Nuggets are left waiting to see whether a difficult trip becomes a bigger problem on the court. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Already Have A Few Early Winners And One Clear Concern
Eight games into the season, the Nuggets already have a few early answers as they sit at 5-3. Nikola Jokic has been productive overall, even if his three-point touch has not quite followed the rest of his game, and the supporting cast has started to sort itself out in useful ways. Christian Braun, Marvin Bagley III and Jamal Murray have each given Denver something to build on, while rookie Trevon Brazile has flashed enough to suggest there may be more to his role than just filling minutes.
The one concern is harder to ignore because it involves a player who is still trying to find his footing in a different role. DeMar DeRozan has not looked fully comfortable coming off the bench, and for a team trying to establish rhythm early, that adjustment matters. The Nuggets have enough positive signs to feel encouraged, but how quickly that situation settles in could shape whether this start feels like a solid foundation or just a decent opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Alpha Diallo Is Already Facing A Tough Nuggets Rotation Reality
Alpha Diallo arrived in Denver with a reputation built on defense, and for a while it looked like that skill set could carve out a real lane in the Nuggets rotation. He flashed enough in the preseason and early in the season to suggest he could be more than just a camp body, but the early returns have also made clear how narrow his path is if the offense does not come along.
David Adelman has leaned toward rookie Bryce Hopkins in the recent stretch, and that choice has pushed Diallo further toward a specialists role than a two-way one. With minutes already hard to come by, the Nuggets are now weighing whether Diallo can stay on the floor long enough to matter, or whether his value will remain tied almost entirely to what he does on defense. [Read more 🡒]