In a game against the Houston Rockets, the Denver Nuggets secured the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a 126-111 victory. Michael Porter Jr. led the way with 19 points, while Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic each contributed 18 points. This win ensures the Nuggets homecourt advantage in the upcoming playoffs, marking their seventh consecutive postseason appearance.
Denver had a strong first half, heading into halftime with a 13-point lead. A decisive 10-2 run in the third quarter, powered by Gordon’s five points, extended their lead to 86-63. With about five minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Rockets, already locked into the No. 2 seed, benched their starters.
The Nuggets maintained control throughout the game, building a commanding 111-78 lead with nine minutes left, allowing them to rest their starters. Jokic, who had secured a triple-double average for the season in the previous game, contributed seven rebounds and seven assists in this victory. With this accomplishment, Jokic joins the elite company of Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson in achieving this feat.
Westbrook came off the bench to add 17 points, contributing to the Nuggets’ third consecutive win under interim coach David Adelman. The coaching change occurred after the dismissal of head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth earlier in the week.
Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 15 points each as they finished the regular season with a 52-30 record, their first winning season since 2019-20.
Key Moment:
The pivotal run in the third quarter that widened the Nuggets’ lead to 20 points.
Key Stat:
Houston’s Jalen Green started all 82 games of the season for the second consecutive year.
Up Next:
The Rockets will host the No. 7 seed in the first round of the playoffs starting on April 19-20, while the Nuggets will host the fifth seed, maintaining their homecourt advantage.
