The Denver Nuggets hit a rough patch, wrapping up their road trip with a disappointing 105-86 loss to the Houston Rockets, plummeting to a 1-4 record on the journey. To add salt to the wound, the defeat had the double whammy of being an In-Season Tournament game, sealing the Nuggets’ elimination from the bracket even before the quarterfinals unfold.
Aaron Gordon’s performance in the game mirrored the team’s struggles. Finishing with a meager two points, he endured a dismal shooting night, going 0-12 from the field, 0-4 from beyond the arc, and 2-4 from the free-throw line. Despite averaging significant minutes this season (33.9 per game), Gordon finds himself outside the top 150 in nine-category leagues. His modest averages of 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 combined steals and blocks don’t align with his must-roster status. The hope lingers that an improvement in his shooting accuracy could propel him back into the top 100 in the near future.
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The win gives the Rockets an 8-6 record on the year and their second victory in as many tries against the defending champions.
In the victory, the Rockets were very balanced as an offensive unit. Seven players out of the nine who played scored seven points or more. Out of those players, four finished in double digits and three recorded double-doubles.
As the Denver Nuggetsget acclimated with one another, they are beginning to figure out where each person fits in the machine. For the younger players, Alperen Sengun finds himself as a distributor and creator in the post, Jalen Green is meant to be the volume scorer, Jabari Smith Jr. crashes the glass, and Tari Eason gives hustle and defensive energy off the bench.
For the veterans, Dillon Brooks is tasked with defending the team’s best player more often than not, Fred VanVleet sets the table and makes everybody look good, and Aaron Holiday provides that same stability in the second unit.
The team is only going to get more comfortable playing together as the season rolls along, and that should be scary for other teams in the Western Conference as they try and jockey for positioning.
