Nuggets defeat Rockets to narrow gap in Western Conference

Nikola Jokic had 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds, Jamal Murray had a game-high 30 points and the host Denver Nuggets closed the gap on the Rockets with a 129-93 win over Houston on Wednesday night.

Houston entered the tournament in third place, one and a half wins ahead of Denver, which ranked sixth in the Western Conference. Currently, four teams are in the third seeding game in the West.

Christian Brown had 19 points, Cameron Johnson had 17, Tim Hardaway Jr. had 14 and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 for the Nuggets, who won the season series between the teams 3-1.

Amen Thompson had 16 points, Josh Okogie had 12, Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. each had 11 and Alperen Sengun had 10 for the Rockets.

Jokic approached a triple-double in the second quarter, finishing the first half with 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.

Houston, which beat Toronto at home Tuesday night, led 43-42 late in the second quarter, but the Nuggets scored eight straight points to take a 53-47 lead into halftime.

Denver quickly took a 10-point lead early in the third quarter, and Jokic got his 10th assist on Johnson’s corner 3-pointer, ending the Rockets’ six-game point streak.

The Nuggets extended their lead with a strong push after Sengun made it 60-55 with a layup. Jokic hit a floater in the lane, Murray dunked on a Houston miss and Johnson hit a 3-pointer to make it 67-55.

Durant and Thompson slowed the rally with jumpers, but Brown’s back-to-back 3-pointers gave them a 12-2 lead to make it 82-63 with 4:03 left and the Rockets took a timeout.

Denver continued to attempt steals and dunks to take a 90-69 lead, and Hardaway’s 3-pointer with 4.8 seconds left in the third put the Nuggets up 4th with a 93-69 lead.

They led by as many as 39 and emptied the bench after Valanciunas hit a jumper midway through the fourth to make it 115-83.

–Field level media