Rockets Suffer Worst Loss of the Year Against the Nuggets on the Road

The Houston Rockets got a much-needed win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday and looked to continue the positive momentum for the challenging game against the Denver Nuggets on a second of a back-to-back. It did not work out at all for the Rockets in the Mile High City as they suffered their worst loss of the season 129-93.

The Rockets fell to 40-25 on the season and are in a three-way tie for third in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Nuggets get back in the win column after four losses in their last five games. The Rockets had to deal with Aaron Gordon, who returned for Denver as well.

Houston lost the season series 3-1, with three out of the four games on the road. The leading scorer for the Rockets was Amen Thompson with 16 points on 8/14 shooting. While four starters were in double digits, nobody besides Thompson crossed 12 points.

Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun only took eight shots each, while Jabari Smith Jr. scored 11 and seven on 5/10 shooting. Tari Eason added eight and eight.

It was one of the worst 3-point shooting nights in Rockets history as Houston went 4/33 for just a 12% mark while also going just 5/14 (36%) from the line. Meanwhile, the Nuggets were 17/32 (53%) from beyond the arc. Jamal Murray put up 30 and Nikola Jokic got his numbers of 16/12/13.

Game Recap

Mar 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Sengun shows aggressive intent early and scored immediately on Jokic. Smith Jr. knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer, and the Rockets were up 7-2.

A couple of bad passes from Houston got the Nuggets going. Josh Okogie came in off the bench and threw down a monster put-back dunk.

Smith Jr. was great getting to his spot in the mid-range and confidently drained those shots multiple times. He was the Rockets’ primary offense in the first quarter. Houston was missing some easy shots that can be a big letdown in a game like this. The turnovers continued, and it resulted in a 24-20 deficit at the end of one. Sengun missed both free throws after drawing a foul right before the period ended.

Eason was making an impact on the boards with eight rebounds. Sengun was 0/4 from the free-throw line. Smith Jr. continued to shine all around with rebounds and passing. The Rockets put some shots together and tied the game at 31.

It became a back-and-forth offensive battle in the second. Okogie became a crucial player off the bench with his strong defensive effort and attacked the paint with some nice passes to Thompson. The ball security for the Rockets continued to lack, and some really poor turnovers gave Denver extra points in transition.

Houston was shooting itself in the foot, and the Nuggets got on a 11-2 late run thanks to three straight turnovers. The Rockets trailed 53-47 at the half. Smith Jr. was the leading scorer halfway through with nine points. Sengun and Thompson each had eight. Durant only added five on four shots. Eason finally contributed with six points.

The Nuggets quickly opened up a 10-point lead at the start of the third. Sengun increased his hustle, and the Rockets responded with six consecutive points. They were not able to take advantage as Denver got the lead back up to nine.

The rest of the quarter was dominated by the Nuggets in a similar fashion to the Spurs loss, where things got out of control fast. Houston lost the third 40-22. The Rockets trailed by 24 at 93-69 at the end of three quarters. Extremely poor shooting and turnovers were the main problem.

Houston gave the ball away 13 times, and the Nuggets had 18 points off them. That also resulted in 23 fast-break points, which was a backbreaker.

The Rockets were a terrible 2/22 from 3-point range, while Denver was 10/20 through three. It’s hard to win an NBA game these days with that kind of shooting, especially against one of the best teams in the league. Houston was also a disastrous 1/8 from the line.

Coach Ime Udoka waved the white flag for the entirety of the fourth quarter for rest with the back-to-back and tried to see if there is another contributor off the bench.

Up next, the Rockets return home for five straight games that begin on Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.