Denver vs Houston: Denver looks to regain form against Houston

The Denver Nuggets are still searching for the form that made them one of the NBA’s hottest teams early in the season. Denver will try to rediscover that rhythm Wednesday night when it hosts the Houston Rockets in a key Western Conference matchup.

The Nuggets opened the season strong, winning eight of their first 10 games with their full starting unit. But injuries quickly disrupted that momentum. Over the past few months, Denver saw several starters miss extended time, including Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson and Nikola Jokic. At one point, the team was without its entire starting lineup.

Now that the group is finally healthy again, the Nuggets are working to regain their chemistry on the court. However, the transition hasn’t been smooth so far. Denver has dropped its first two games since the lineup reunited and has lost six of its last 10 overall.

Forward Aaron Gordon, who has missed 40 games this season with hamstring issues, says he feels physically ready but still needs to get fully back into game rhythm.

“I feel great. My body feels good,” Gordon said. “It’s just the timing and pace of the game that I need to get back.”

Despite the recent struggles, Denver remains firmly in the Western Conference playoff race. The Nuggets currently sit in sixth place, but they are only 1½ games behind the third-place Rockets. A win on Wednesday would cut that gap to just half a game.

Nikola Jokic continues to lead Denver in every major category. The reigning star is averaging 28.9 points per game while also topping the NBA in rebounds (12.5) and assists (10.3). Jamal Murray has also been a major contributor, posting a career-best 25.4 points per game this season.

Houston, meanwhile, arrives in Denver after a 113-99 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. The Rockets have been inconsistent recently, alternating wins and losses over their past six games.

Veteran forward Kevin Durant remains Houston’s offensive leader. At 37 years old, Durant is still performing at an elite level, averaging 26.1 points per game and scoring 29 in Tuesday’s victory.

The Rockets claimed the most recent meeting between the teams, beating Denver 115-101 in December behind a 31-point performance from Durant.

Still, Houston has had its own issues lately, particularly on defence. The Rockets allowed a season-high 145 points in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, a performance coach Ime Udoka said highlighted the need for greater toughness.

“We have the talent, no doubt,” Udoka said. “But the identity, mentality and toughness have to improve.”

With both teams fighting for playoff positioning in a crowded Western Conference, Wednesday’s game could play an important role in determining momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. For Denver, it also represents another chance to prove that its reunited lineup can return to the winning form it showed earlier in the year.