The Denver Nuggets haven’t played a home game in two weeks, and that seems preferable for the team ranked second in the Western Conference.
The Nuggets have lost four straight games at home but can break that streak when they host the Houston Rockets on Monday night. Conversely, Denver has won 11 straight on the road, including a sweep of the four games since a Dec. 1 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Monday’s game was added to the schedule after the Nuggets and Rockets were eliminated from NBA Cup contention. Denver won 112-109 in Houston on Nov. 21 in an NBA Cup group matchup.
That was the Nuggets’ fifth straight road win during this long streak, and they got the victory despite losing Aaron Gordon to a hamstring injury that will keep him sidelined for at least two more weeks. Denver has not had starting guard Christian Braun since Nov. 12 with a left ankle injury, and he is not expected back for a few weeks.
Spencer Jones and Peyton Watson stepped into the starting lineup in place of Gordon and Braun, and both have contributed to the Nuggets’ success.
“Stuff happens in this sport all the time,” Watson said. “The next man had to step up.”
It helps having Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the lineup. Jokic leads Denver in average scoring (29.5 points), rebounds (12.3), assists (10.9) and steals (1.4), and he ranks first in the NBA in rebounding and assists.
Murray is averaging career bests in points (24.4), field goal percentage (50.0) and 3-point percentage (44.2).
The Rockets have six players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Kevin Durant (24.8). Alperen Sengun is second at 23.0 points a game and leads Houston in rebounding at 9.4.
Reed Sheppard, who is fifth on the team in scoring with 12.9 points a game, had 27 points in the first meeting between the teams.
The Rockets, like Denver, have dealt with injuries but would get a key piece back Monday night if Tari Eason is cleared to play. Eason, who missed the past month with an oblique strain, has averaged 11.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 11 appearances.
“He got some live action in, and we’re hoping to have him back next game,” head coach Ime Udoka told Rockets Wire after Saturday’s team practice in Houston. “We were (initially) looking at a little over a month… and the four-week window is a lot better for us.”
The Rockets, winners of 11 of the last 14 games, have experienced a lull in the schedule. They played just once in the last nine days and have been off since beating the Los Angeles Clippers 115-113 on Thursday night.
Monday night is the first of two games in six days between the Nuggets and Rockets, who play again in Denver on Saturday afternoon.
