The Houston Rockets travel to Denver on Saturday, December 20, looking to snap a two-game losing streak against the Nuggets, who are riding a six-game winning streak. Tipoff at Ball Arena is set for 5:00 PM ET.
Houston enters with a 16-8 record but will be without Tari Eason (left lower leg), Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle surgery), and Fred VanVleet (right knee ACL repair).
Denver, holding a 20-6 mark, is missing Aaron Gordon (right hamstring), Christian Braun (left ankle), Tamar Bates, and Curtis Jones due to two-way assignments, with Peyton Watson listed as questionable (right trunk contusion).
The Rockets’ recent struggles include a 128-133 overtime loss at New Orleans on December 18 and a 125-128 overtime defeat in Denver on December 15. Despite the setbacks, Houston continues to rely on Kevin Durant (25.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.9 APG) and Alperen Sengun (23.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.2 APG) to carry the offense. Amen Thompson (17.6 PPG) and Jabari Smith Jr. (15.3 PPG) are also key contributors.
Denver, coming off a 126-115 victory over Orlando, is led by Nikola Jokic (29.6 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 10.9 APG) and Jamal Murray (25.2 PPG, 6.6 APG), with Cameron Johnson (11.7 PPG) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (12.2 PPG) providing perimeter scoring.
The Nuggets dominated both previous meetings this season, winning 112-109 in Houston and 128-125 in overtime at home.
