Nuggets Suffer Heavy Loss to Rockets at Home After Jokic’s Last-Minute Scratch

The Nuggets fell to the Rockets 128-108 at home after Nikola Jokic was unexpectedly ruled out just before the game.

Nuggets Suffer Heavy Loss to Rockets at Home After Jokic’s Last-Minute Scratch
Nuggets Suffer Heavy Loss to Rockets at Home After Jokic’s Last-Minute Scratch

Denver: The Nuggets had a rough night at home. They were riding high after a big win over Dallas, but things took a turn when Nikola Jokic was scratched just an hour before the game. He had elbow inflammation from warming up, which was a total surprise.

Without Jokic, the Nuggets struggled and lost 128-108 to the Rockets at Ball Arena. The energy in the arena just vanished. This was the first time they lost the second game of a back-to-back this season.

Jokic has missed a few games this season, but this was the most sudden. He was even warming up and seemed fine, so it was a shock when he was ruled out. Aaron Gordon was also out for injury management, leaving DeAndre Jordan to step in for Jokic.

In the second quarter, Houston’s Jalen Green really turned it on, scoring 12 of his 34 points and getting the crowd riled up. The Rockets scored 41 points in that quarter, leading 69-48 at halftime.

Jamal Murray had a decent game with 22 points, but he and Russell Westbrook combined for 10 turnovers against a tough Houston defense. The Rockets, surprisingly good at shooting threes, hit 44% from beyond the arc, which is way better than their usual 33.4% this season.

Christian Braun shined a bit, scoring 22 points and hitting some nice shots, but it wasn’t enough. The Nuggets just couldn’t get it together, committing 18 turnovers that led to 30 points for the Rockets.

Coach Malone had warned about Houston’s aggressive defense, and it showed. The Rockets outscored the Nuggets 25-7 in fast break points. After this tough loss, the Nuggets are heading to Miami for their next game against the Heat, where Jimmy Butler might be back from his suspension.

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