The Denver Nuggets are 0-2 against the young, upstart Houston Rockets this season. Can the defending champions finally get a win back?
Catch the game tomorrow at 10:00 AM, Manila time.
AWAY: Houston Rockets (8-7, 0-6 AWAY)
Projected starting five:
- Fred VanVleet
- Jalen Green
- Dillon Brooks
- Jabari Smith Jr.
- Alperen Sengun
The Rockets are losers in four of their last six games. Tomorrow’s contest is also the second night of a back-to-back, on the road no less, where they are still winless this season.
However, the pair of wins over the Nuggets are sure to pour a truckload of confidence on the team. They beat Denver in a close game and via blowout, which sort of shows they have what it takes to hang with them and blow past them when the execution is right.
Starters Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Fred VanVleet will have the team’s offensive spotlight as they have all scored 20-plus in the two meetings vs. the Nuggets. The ever-rising Sengun, who has scored two 30-plus point and five 20-plus point games over his last six outings, is at the forefront. He’s being regarded as the “Nikola Jokic lite,” and their matchup should remain interesting.
In the end, though, it will be about managing their energy while playing on a back-to-back, and if they can keep containing the team despite giving up gaudy numbers to Jokic.
The Rockets are top three in points allowed (104.4) and defensive rating (107.3).
HOME: Denver Nuggets (12-6, 8-0 HOME)
Projected starting five:
- Reggie Jackson / Jamal Murray (day-to-day)
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
- Michael Porter Jr.
- Aaron Gordon (day-to-day)
- Nikola Jokic (day-to-day)
Following a 2-5 stretch, the Nuggets are now winners of two-straight games. On Tuesday, they picked up an impressive, 113-104 victory over the LA Clippers, outsourcing the star-studded Clipps despite missing Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon. Much to everyone’s surprise, former Clipper guys Reggie Jackson and DeAndre Jordan led the way, with the former dropping 35 points and 13 assists, and the latter, who’s supposedly old and pretty much a bench warmer now, adding 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Jackson is slated to get yet another start as Jamal Murray is still recovering from a hamstring injury. He had two points on 1-of-7 shooting with six turnovers during Saturday’s loss, but he has scored 20 and 35 in his last two outings.
Jokic will be back after an apparent rest. He is averaging an insane 37.0/20.0/9.5 in the season series, but all that has gone to waste as they can’t translate it into a win. The same goes with Michael Porter Jr., who has 19.5 PPG on 51.6% shooting in the head-to-head. Aaron Gordon, meanwhile, should look to do better as he was 0-for-12 in Saturday’s loss.
Denver scores 113.1 PPG and gives up 108.9 per game.
PREDICTION:
Handicap: The Nuggets (-6) get the revenge and cover the spread.
Over/Under: The total goes over 217.