Rockets Disappointing Start Leads To Blowout Loss vs. Nuggets - Notebook
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When the Houston Rockets fell to the Denver Nuggets Monday night, Kevin Porter Jr. spoke on the challenges of playing in Colorado. The Rockets fell apart in the third quarter after a competitive first half, where they allowed the Nuggets to outscore them 36-23.
Porter credited Denver's high altitude for Houston running out of energy. But he vowed that the Rockets would have more stamina ahead of their second game inside Ball Arena.
Unfortunately, only Porter and Alperen Sengun found rejuvenation during their extended stay in Denver. An appalling start led to the Rockets suffering their second consecutive loss to the Nuggets in a 120-100 defeat Wednesday night.
"I haven't been disappointed with our readiness to start a game all season," coach Stephen Silas said. "Against teams like this, I told them that you cannot ease into these games. You have to come in with a defensive mind set. It was disappointing."
The Rockets began the night trailing the Nuggets 13-2 and dug themselves into a 33-point deficit. Houston connected on nine out of their first 21 shots and committed six turnovers during the first period.
Porter scored eight first-quarter points to keep pace with Jamal Murray, who scored nine. Porter finished with a team-best 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting, six rebounds and five assists. Murray scored a game-high 26 points on 60.0 percent shooting.
"Despite the first quarter, we played a good game," Porter said. "We had the scouting report and knew what we wanted to do. But they came out and had guys who made shots."
Alperen Sengun held his own against his idol
Alperen Sengun left a great impression on Nikola Jokic during their Game 1 contest. Jokic was impressed by Sengun's basketball IQ that it left him believing the Rockets should run more of their offense through their second-year big man.
Sengun intensified his play during their second meeting of the season. And at times, his play left Jokic appearing winded late in the third quarter. He finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, which included a slam over the top of Jokic at the 6:01 mark of the third quarter.
Sengun had another impressive performance against his idol. But Jokic continued to illustrate how he became a two-time MVP winner in back-to-back seasons. Jokic finished with 17 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds.
"That's his idol — someone he models his game after," Porter said. "It's always good to go up against people like that, especially for Alperen. But that's the MVP at the end of the day."
Quick Hits:
- Jabari Smith Jr. doubled his playing time after foul trouble limited him to 17 minutes Monday night. Smith played 31 minutes and scored 13 points.
- For the second time in 10 games, Jalen Green did not record five or more assists. Green finished with three assists with 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
- Despite losing by 20, the Rockets recorded six blocks and five steals. The defensive highlight of the night came when Smith recorded a chase-down block on Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon.
Final Words:
"At the end of the day, we are not going to give up no matter what the score is," Porter said. "Stop looking at the score. Play for each other. And have some pride."
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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