The Houston Rockets are looking to close out the season series with a win, but they’ll have to do it on the Denver Nuggets’ turf.

The Rockets have won two of the three meetings by 26 and 16 points, while the Nuggets’ lone win featured a defensive masterpiece.

HOME TEAM: Denver Nuggets (31-14, 17-6 at home)

The Nuggets have alternated wins and losses for the past five games, and one of the defeats was against the Rockets. They’ll be coming off a 113-106 road win over the New Orleans Pelicans, where they had seven guys scoring in double figures.

Nikola Jokic has most of the reins in the offense while Jamal Murray is dealing with an ankle injury. The Joker has recorded five-straight double-doubles since his partner in crime went down, averaging 23.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game in that span.

Will Barton (17.2 PPG in his last five) and Michael Porter Jr. (15.8 PPG in his last six) will continue backing their All-Star center on the scoring load. Gary Harris (10.9 PPG) has returned from an injury and he too could go hot anytime soon.

ROAD TEAM: Houston Rockets (28-16, 13-9 on the road)

The Rockets followed their cruising win against the Nuggets this past Thursday with a 131-124 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Denver’s stingy defense at home and the city’s high altitude will be tough obstacles so they need all the momentum they can get.

Russell Westbrook is currently in an impressive pace, easily one of the most efficient in his whole career. He’s shooting 52.8% from the floor in his last nine games and putting up 31.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game in that stretch. The hot streak could stay on track as he has a favourable match-up against the Nuggets’ guards.

All that is very welcomed treat as it has come at a perfect time. James Harden is close to building Houston a new stadium with all the bricks he’s been throwing lately. He’s just shooting 22.3% from three and 33.3% overall over his past nine outings, the same time Westbrook began his current run.

Clint Capela (14.4 PPG, 14 RPG) and Eric Gordon (17.4 PPG in his last 11), meanwhile, remain as strong secondary options.

PREDICTION:

Jokic has a big game and his supporting cast come out solid, but the Nuggets eventually fall, 110-105, courtesy of failing to match Westbrook’s onslaught.