Game 25: Houston Rockets At Denver Nuggets Preview

The Houston Rockets impressed us all but being able to not only hold a lead against the Los Angeles Lakers but maintain throughout multiple quarters.

Despite as well as the Rockets were dominating the Lakers, I still had a feeling that they’d let them slip back in.

But they didn’t.

So as the season has progressed this Rockets team is learning all over again how to be great.

It’s within themselves but it just had to show out with all of the talent that this team has.

It was great to see Kobe Bryant look like himself on some plays but cringing to watch when he’d air ball jumpers that he’d usually nail.

But the “W” was acquired and the Rockets are back at .500 with a 12-12 record since early in the season when they were 4-4 and Kevin McHale was still the coach of this team.

But moving forward, the Rockets face the 9-14 Nuggets and are a lot different of a team then when they last faced them.

They’re shooting better from the field but their defense is still lacking. But they are scoring enough points to win games, making the Lakers’ win their ninth-straight game scoring 100 or more points.

Ty Lawson will have a chance to redeem himself from a piss-poor performance that he had that eventually led to big donut-hole in scoring on that stat sheet when they last faced each other in a 107-98 loss Nov. 13.

The Rockets should be favored in tonight’s match up and should win this game with breaking a little sweat and adding a little elbow grease to their strategy.

So who’s leading the charge for the Nuggets?

Danilo Gallinari leads the team in scoring (17.7 PPG). Kenneth Faried is the top board-getter and shot-blocker (9.0 RPG)/(1.00 BPG). Emmanuel Mudiay handles the dimes (5.7 APG) and Will Barton‘s in charge of all of the larceny (1.20 SPG).

Let’s talk about what the Nuggets do well.

You’d be hard-pressed to find any thing this team does well but here’s one thing:

They attack the boards on defense. The Nuggets are tied for 11th — with the Washington Wizards and the Denver Nuggets — in the league in defensive rebound rate (77.0).

Injuries:

Sam Dekker had back surgery and is expected to miss about a couple more months.

Mudiay injured his ankle in their contest Friday against the Timberwolves, a eventual 111-108 win in overtime. He has been ruled OUT for tonight’s game.

Sources: Jenny Dial Creech/Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle and Harrison Wind of BSN Denver.

Next: Rockets Live: A Personal Experience At Verizon Center

Three Things to Watch:

Clint Capela vs. Kenneth Faried
Trevor Ariza vs. Gallinari
Will K.J. McDaniels get some quality minutes if business is taken care of?

Prediction:

107-95 in a Rockets’ win!

The Rockets are on the road take on the Nuggets at Pepsi Center.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CST.

The game will be televised on ROOT Sports Southwest and broadcast on SportsTalk 790 AM (KBME) and La Ranchera 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.

Go Rockets!

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