Three Takeaways As Houston Rockets Endure Tough OT Loss Against Denver Nuggets

Monday night served a major showdown between two Western Conference powerhouses, but it was the Houston Rockets who failed to get the job done with a tough 128-125 overtime loss against the Denver Nuggets.

Both sides went at it as the matchup has been tightly contested, but the Nuggets simply prevailed over the Rockets in the five-minute extension. Alperen Sengun led the way with 33 points, while Kevin Durant had 25.

This marks the first night of the team's lengthy six-game road trip, and the Rockets couldn't ask for a more disappointing result to kickstart their run outside Houston.

Here are the main takeaways of the team's road loss against the Nuggets in the Mile High City.

1. Late-Game Call vs. Amen Thompson Ruined Rockets Win

The Rockets were already positioned to snatch the impressive victory against the Nuggets after Alperen Sengun hit a clutch floater with 2.3 seconds in regulation to give the team a 117-116 lead.

But in the Nuggets' final possession, referees made a controversial whistle against Amen Thompson.

Defending the running Tim Hardaway Jr., Thompson was called for a crucial "away-from-the-ball" personal foul. Head coach Ime Udoka already challenged it, but the Rockets failed to get the favor as Jamal Murray buried the free throw to send the game to overtime.

Based on the replays, it is definitely questionable how Thompson was assessed with that soft contact against Hardaway. This play will continue to haunt the team in what has been a dubious call by the officials.

clearly a correct foul call on Amen Thompson pic.twitter.com/goOYSIwkel
— outbreezy (@outbreezyWC) December 16, 2025

2. Alperen Sengun Went Toe-to-Toe Vs. Nikola Jokic In Their Primetime Center Battle

Tonight served as another event that Alperen Sengun faced off the best player in the world.

As such, the Rockets star played impressively in his center battle against Nikola Jokic. Sengun went off for a triple-double performance of 33 points, 10 boards and 10 assists, matching the Serbian big's 39-15-10 statline.

As they say, iron sharpens iron. It's good to see that Sengun continues his superb showing and isn't backing down on the elite big man challenges in front of him.

3. Reed Sheppard Suffered From Inconsistencies

Reed Sheppard was huge off the bench with his 14 points across 32 minutes. But the inefficiency he displayed was simply brutal for Houston.

The Rockets point guard had a rough night shooting as he went off with 5-of-17 shooting. It's certainly promising that he was aggressive on the offensive end, but a 29.4 percent shooting is simply poor.

In the end, this serves as a good lesson for Sheppard to improve his efficiency, as numbers on tight games like this against Denver will always be pivotal.