The Nuggets can finally exhale. Slightly.
They capped a tumultuous back-to-back on Saturday with a resounding 129-116 win over the Rockets, leaving the stench of Friday night’s loss in Golden State. In their first game without injured guard Will Barton, who’ll be out for the “foreseeable” future with a right hamstring strain, the Nuggets got ample production on multiple fronts to improve to 39-21 on the season.
“For us to come in here, second night of a back-to-back, getting in at 3 o’clock in the morning, I thought we played with a lot more energy and effort than we did last night, but there’s definitely some things that we can clean up,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone.
Nikola Jokic dominated an undermanned Rockets squad, pouring in 24 points, dealing 12 assists and grabbing eight rebounds. Due to injuries and health and safety protocol, the Rockets only used seven players.
Michael Porter Jr. continued to emerge as the team’s secondary offensive valve without Jamal Murray. He logged a new career-high 39 points, confidently stroking eight 3-pointers every time he caught a shooting window. The Rockets had no adequate cover for the 6-foot-10 flamethrower.
In his first career start, P.J. Dozier also logged a career-high 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting. As long as Barton remains out, Dozier will likely remain a fixture in the starting lineup. His two-way presence gives Jokic another cutter, and his defensive versatility allows him to guard up or down a roster.
There were other contributions – a career-high 13 assists from starting PG Facundo Campazzo, and valuable minutes from Austin Rivers and JaVale McGee – but for the most part, they just played harder than they did in Friday’s loss to the Warriors.
Having already built a comfortable cushion, the Nuggets kept their foot on the offensive pedal in the third quarter. Porter continued to sizzle, knocking down two more 3-pointers and pacing the Nuggets with 10 points. Dozier added eight, exposing creases and using his length near the hoop. Jokic dropped in six, always content to play the facilitator role. By the time the third quarter ended, the Nuggets were up 102-82 and Jokic was sitting on 24 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.
Despite commanding consistent double teams, Malone said before Saturday’s tip that they needed Jokic to be more assertive.
“When you have guys down, you want your MVP to go out there and be aggressive and try to carry the team,” Malone said. “Sometimes, it’s almost not possible because he’s got so many people around him.”
But the beleaguered Rockets had no answers for Jokic, who controlled the first half with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting, eight assists and six rebounds. Houston couldn’t match his size, nor could any of their big men handle his deep back of tricks.
But beyond Jokic, as a team, the Nuggets played with purpose. They got into passing lanes, put pressure on Houston’s ball-handlers and forced 12 turnovers en route to a 72-50 lead at the break.
Jokic ended the half with one of his patented full-length passes to Dozier, catching the Rockets sleeping for an extra basket. That topped off a fantastic half of basketball, which included a game-high 20 points from Porter on 8-of-13 shooting.
Of Friday’s loss, Malone said he was confident his guys owned their transition lapses.
“It’s hard not to acknowledge it and own it and accept it because it was that deplorable,” Malone said.
The effort to start was significantly better.
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Nuggets knock off Rockets behind career-highs from Michael Porter Jr. and P.J. Dozier - The Denver Post
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