HOUSTON- Houston Rockets (10-3) vs. Denver Nuggets (11-3)

Starting Lineups:

Rockets:

Jamari Smith Jr.

Alperen Şengün

Steven Adams

Kevin Durant

Amen Thompson

Nuggets:

Jamal Murray

Peyton Watson

Christian Braun

Cameron Johnson

Nikola Jokic

Ime Udoka utilizes his go-big starting lineup. 

Tipoff: Denver has first possession. 

Both teams bringing explosive energy off the tip.

Murray leading with five quick points.

Insane steal and dunk from Durant - no foul called on Watson. 

Şengün lobs it to Durant - miss. 

Denver takes a 10-point lead. 

Jokic steal and Watson draws a foul. 

Rockets are winning the turnover war, but Denver looks more composed and are controlling the tempo.

Denver on a 7-0 run. 

Houston is struggling to find looks, shooting at just 26-percent. 

It's been absolute war in the paint on the Rockets' side. Denver with seven offensive rebounds. Houston has just two. 

End of the first: 25-12 Denver

Sheppard buries a three. 

Spencer Jones with back-to-back personals. Şengün goes to the line and sinks both.

Seven Houston turnovers.

Denver extends their lead to 13. 

Smooth cross and two for Sheppard.

(!!!) Şengün steals, falls, and passes backward over his head from the floor downhill to Sheppard. Slam dunk Sheppard. 

Sheppard keeps knocking them down. He's leading the court with 11. Shooting over 60-percent from the field. 

Sheppard fouls Brown. Brown sinks both at the line. 

 Two from Durant and a defensive board. 

Around the perimeter and back to Sheppard- buries his second three. 

Another three for Sheppard. 

12-0 run from the Rockets closes the gap, and Rockets take the lead for the first time. 

Sheppard on fire with yet another smooth three. Now 4-for6 from deep.

Nasty three from a wide open Jokic. 

Houston with incredible ball movement. The chemistry is flowing. Another bucket for Thompson and one point at the line puts Houston back in the lead 47-46

Johnson picks up his third personal on Smith with 2.0 left. Smith goes to the line for three. Sinks first two and misses the third. 

Sheppard has 20 points on the board- twice as many as anyone else that's been on the floor, including Durant and Jokic, who both have 10. 

End of the half: 49-46 Houston

Immediate Durant turnover.

Back-to-back twos from Jokic after another miss from Smith, now 1-for-9.

A dunk from Şengün is answered by a nasty one from Jokic on Şengün, sending Denver's bench to their feet. Jokic is up to 19 on a run.

Steal and dunk from Thomspon.

Denver extends their lead to double digits.

Jokic picks up his fourth personal. 

Sheppard knocks down yet another three and converts it to a four-point play from the line. 

Nuggets are 9-for-9 in the third.

Jokic has gone 4-for-4 for threes so far this game, shooting at 75-percent from the field. He and Sheppard have both put up 24 (4:30)

Durant misses a freethrow, Okogie grabs the rebound, kicks it out to Smith, who sinks a deep three. 

Houston closes the gap agato a 1-point game 71-70 Denver.

Smooth wide open three from Okogie put Rockets back in the lead. 

Rockets on a 16-2 extended run, making the last five shots.

Smith buries a three that's answered with two from Hardaway.

The two teams are taking turns pulling small leads- neck-and-neck (1:41).

End of the third: 80-78 Denver

Amen ties it back up with layup.

Smith buries back-to-back threes. Now at 18 points after that slow start.

Back-to-back inside buckets from Thompson. 

Rockets have pulled ahead by five 88-85 (10:00)

Jokic sinks another three.

Jokic picks up his fifth foul. Denver decides to keep him in with over seven minutes left.

Slam dunk from Sengun- Houston takes a two-point lead again: 96-94

Sengun picks up his fifth personal (4:54) Udoka is visibly frustrated. 

Sheppard makes one of three at the line after a missed three.

SUB in Adams for Sengun. 

Three from Jokic is answered with two from Adams. 

Sengun back in (2:10)

TImeout Houston: 110-106 Denver (10.0) - last one avaialble 

Three from Smith, his fifth made of the night (5.5)

Timeout Denver: 110-109 Denver

Smith fouls out - Jokic gets two shots. 

Houston has one last chance for a three.

Missed three from Sengun.

Final: 112-109 Denver