The Houston Rockets are still alive to win the inaugural in-season tournament Cup after their victory over the Denver Nuggets. Today we will discuss about Denver Nuggets vs Houston Rockets: Prediction| Last game.
Denver Nuggets vs Houston Rockets: Prediction| Last game
The Denver Nuggets vs. Houston Rockets had a strange first half on Friday night. Denver looked really bad on both ends, ending the half 60-43, but their superstar center Nikola Jokic had a historic first half.
According to Basketball Reference’s Stathead, Jokic finished the first half with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists, the most from that line in the first half of a game since the NBA began tracking such data in 1996. Became the first player to post better than that. Only Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis have posted at least 25 points and 13 rebounds in the first half since the NBA began such tracking, but neither of them had three assists.
Prediction
The Denver Nuggets will also be without Jamal Murray and Vlatko Canker on Friday night. Coach Michael Malone will continue to use a starting lineup of Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic.
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets have two injured players on their roster – Victor Oladipo and Amen Thompson. Coach Ime Udoka is expected to field his usual starting five of Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun.
Last game
While it was a special half on offense from Jokic, it wasn’t even enough to get his team closer to Houston, as no one on the Nuggets was able to go much further. Jokic led almost all of Denver’s offense, scoring 25 of his 43 first-half points. While the reigning Finals MVP is capable of carrying the offensive load like him, he needs his teammates to step up, especially in the absence of Jamal Murray.
The Nuggets are just 4-4 since the loss of Murray, and are in danger of losing another game against a tough Rockets team on Friday night. While wins may have been easy for Houston in seasons past, that’s clearly not the case anymore.
