Overview
- Nikola Jokic finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, sinking two late free throws to seal Denver’s road win.
- Houston erased a 13-point deficit behind Reed Sheppard’s career-high 27 and Jabari Smith Jr.’s 21, including 19 after halftime.
- Aaron Gordon exited after three minutes with a hamstring strain, yet Denver controlled the glass early before Houston closed with a 40-38 rebounding edge.
- The result moved the Nuggets to 12-3 overall and 2-1 in NBA Cup group play, tying Golden State atop West Group C; the Rockets fell to 10-4 and finish group play at the Warriors on Wednesday.
- The nationally distributed matchup was streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video with no traditional TV broadcast.