Nuggets-Rockets Preview

Posted Jan 22 2013 7:03PM

It's been an ugly new year so far for the Houston Rockets.

They snapped a seven-game losing streak with an ugly win in Charlotte on Monday and were finally back on their own practice floor Tuesday after playing nine of their first 12 games of 2013 on the road.

Where to begin?

The Rockets (22-21) averaged 115.8 points during a five-game winning streak Dec. 31-Jan. 8. They've averaged only 94.1 points in the eight games since, and lead the league in turnovers (16.5 per game) heading into Wednesday's game against Denver.

Coach Kevin McHale doesn't see the offense as the Rockets' most glaring issue at the moment. Houston also ranks last in points allowed (103.2 points per game), and fixing the defense is McHale's most immediate priority.

"That's been a concern," McHale said. "The offense is going to come and go, we've missed a lot of shots during this stretch and we've had a lot of turnovers. But we've got to tighten up defensively."

That won't be easy against the Nuggets (25-18), who have averaged 104.0 points in winning four straight against the Rockets - three in Houston. Denver is one of the league's highest-scoring teams at 103.1 points per game, and is coming off a 121-118 overtime win Sunday against Oklahoma City.

"We did fight through a lot of adversity," forward Kenneth Faried told the team's official website. "It helped being at home because we really had our confidence going. Guys kept fighting. What can I say? The team played really well. This is a confidence-booster right now."

There's been little confidence surrounding the Rockets lately. Following a 117-109 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last week, forward Chandler Parsons bluntly evaluated the Rockets' defense.

"There's no excuse for guys just getting blown by or getting just dominated," Parsons said. "Man up, play better."

Houston then dropped games at Dallas, Indiana and Minnesota, a skid that culminated in a players-only meeting over the weekend. The Rockets won 100-94 in Charlotte by outscoring the Bobcats 26-13 in the final quarter - a glimpse of the kind of defense they need to play.

"When we don't get stops, it doesn't allow us to get out on transition, where we're best," Parsons said. "It should start on the defensive end, all of us, individually and collectively. Focus in on that."

McHale said Houston's defensive improvement has to start down low. Center Omer Asik is having a solid first season in Houston, averaging 10.3 points and 11.0 rebounds. But he's averaging only 1.1 blocks, and the Rockets lack any shot-blocking presence to scare off opponents.

"You've got to start off by protecting the paint," McHale said. "The best way to protect the paint is having two 7-foot-2 guys who can block shots all over the place. That's hard to find, so the next best way is to find bodies. We've got to put bodies in the paint and we've got to keep people out, we've got to take away layups and we've got to get defensive rebounds."

That's a difficult proposition against Denver, which leads the league in second-chance points (17.0 per game), offensive rebounds (14.0) and points in the paint (56.4) largely thanks to Faried. He had 16 points and 16 rebounds - nine offensive - in the Nuggets' 93-87 win in Houston on Nov. 7.

James Harden struggled in that loss, shooting 5 of 15 and committing six turnovers. He was the last Rocket on the floor Tuesday, pouring in one 3-pointer after another after shooting 25.0 percent - 14.8 from long distance - during Houston's trip.

The Rockets have 12 games remaining before the NBA's All-Star Weekend comes to town. They seemed upbeat after Tuesday's practice, but Harden acknowledged that the young team's confidence was damaged by the recent slide.

Different from his days in Oklahoma City, Harden feels like everyone is looking to him for leadership.

"We've got to bring each other in," Harden said. "We went through a tough stretch, so everybody kind of put their heads down a little bit. Being that this is a new role for me, I've got to do a better job of leading these guys and telling them that this is a game, everybody goes through these stretches. We've got to figure a way to get out of it."

If they want to start that upward climb Wednesday, they'd do well to devise a plan to contain Ty Lawson. Denver's point guard has scored at least 20 points in all four contests during the Nuggets' series winning streak.

Lawson, Chandler lead Nuggets past Rockets

By CHRIS DUNCAN
Posted Jan 23 2013 11:40PM

HOUSTON (AP) The Denver Nuggets pounced when they sensed the Houston Rockets were starting to crumble.

Ty Lawson scored 21 points, Wilson Chandler had 20 and the Nuggets pulled away in the third quarter Wednesday night for a 105-95 victory over the mistake-prone Rockets.

Danilo Gallinari sank three 3-pointers and scored 18 points for the Nuggets, who converted 28 points off 23 Houston turnovers to beat the Rockets for the fifth straight time.

Denver took control with a 21-5 burst late in the third quarter, turning a flurry of Rockets' turnovers into easy baskets. Lawson said the Nuggets noticed a lapse in the Rockets' defense as their mistakes mounted.

"They're high-scoring and they love transition, but they don't like guarding," said Lawson, who also had seven assists. "Whenever they scored, or even when we got the rebound, we played in the third quarter to push it and try to get easy points. They didn't really run back too much and that's what we did."

James Harden scored 23 points but committed seven turnovers, and Omer Asik grabbed 13 rebounds for the Rockets. Houston coach Kevin McHale took point guard Jeremy Lin out of the game with 3:27 left in the third quarter, but the Nuggets continued their surge.

JaVale McGee turned in the highlight of the night, flipping the ball off the backboard and then dunking the putback with one hand for an 80-64 lead.

"I thought, if I didn't dunk it, I was going to get taken out of the game," McGee said.

The Nuggets shot 62 percent (13 of 21) in the third quarter and scored 12 points off seven Houston turnovers.

Denver poured it on in the fourth quarter, stretching the lead over 20. Chandler drove down an open lane for an easy layup with 9:18 left and fans headed for the exits.

The Rockets have lost eight of nine.

"I think, right now, we are low on confidence, there's no question," McHale said. "You can see it with our guys and we're going to have to pump `em up and get `em believing again."

McGee and Andre Iguodala scored 14 points apiece for the Nuggets, who've won eight of their last 10 games. Denver shot 55 percent (22 of 40) and outrebounded Houston 21-16 in the second half.

"We've just got to keep playing like that," Lawson said.

Lin, meanwhile, watched the fourth quarter from the sideline for the second straight game. McHale also yanked him at the end of Monday's 100-94 win in Charlotte in favor of newcomer Patrick Beverley. Lin is 7 for 24 from the field in his last three games, but McHale downplayed his benching.

"Jeremy's fine," McHale said. "We're just looking for some stuff, it wasn't anything."

The Rockets came into the game leading the league in turnovers (16.5 per game) and they were sloppy from the start on Wednesday, giving away five turnovers in the first six minutes. Iguodala finished a Denver fast break with a dunk after another Rockets' miscue for a 25-14 lead.

The Rockets cut into the deficit by hitting six of their first 12 shots from 3-point range. Carlos Delfino's first 3-pointer of the game came early in the second quarter and pulled Houston within 31-29.

Harden got poked in the right eye trying to block Corey Brewer's 3-point attempt from the corner midway through the second quarter. Rockets trainer Keith Jones came out to check on Harden, and they walked to the bench together. Harden checked back into the game at the next whistle, then converted a three-point play after a steal to trim Denver's lead to 40-35.

The Nuggets went cold late in the half, and Houston rallied to take a 44-40 lead. McGee dunked an alley-oop pass from Andre Miller and Denver led 46-44 at halftime despite missing 14 of 20 shots in the second quarter.

The teams were tied at 57-all when Denver went on the decisive spurt in the third.

Notes: The Rockets trailed by double digits for the 12th consecutive game. ... Harden led the Rockets in scoring for the 21st straight game. Moses Malone holds the team record, going 23 straight games as Houston's top scorer during the 1981-82 season. ... The Nuggets open a season-high, six-game homestand against Sacramento on Saturday. Denver played 22 of its first 32 games on the road. ... Nuggets coach George Karl got his 1,100th career win and Iguodala surpassed 10,000 career points.

Notebook: Nuggets 105, Rockets 95

Matt Miller, for NBA.com
Posted Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:50 PM - Updated Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:50 PM

THE FACTS: The Denver Nuggets were more than happy to capitalize on the turnover-prone Houston Rockets' inability to battle through rough stretches of play to help coach George Karl earn career win 1,100.

Ty Lawson scored a team-high 21 points and dished out seven assists to lead five Nuggets in double-figures, as Denver became the latest team to make the Rockets pay for their numerous mental errors in a 105-95 victory Wednesday at Toyota Center. Wilson Chandler added 20 points and six rebounds for the Nuggets (26-18), who have won eight of their last 10 games overall and three of their last five on the road.

Denver swingman Andre Iguodala chipped in 14 points, six boards, five assists and three steals, in addition to delivering a stellar defensive effort against Houston guard James Harden. Iguodala joined Karl in reaching a career milestone, netting his 10,000th career point on a free throw with 10:20 remaining in the third quarter. Karl and Iguodala both, understandably, wanted the game ball. The elder Karl, however, claimed ownership of the rock in the locker room after the game.

Harden paced the Rockets (22-22) -- losers of seven of their last nine games -- with 34 points and seven assists, but he committed seven of his team's 23 turnovers. Carlos Delfino poured in 15 points off the bench.

QUOTABLE: "The accolades are because of so many other people more than me. But I've put a lot of losses on my belt, so maybe I'll take some accolades every now and then, too."
-- Karl on reaching 1,100 career coaching victories.

THE STAT: Both of these teams love to play an up-tempo style, but Houston had more success in this area during the first half as it outscored Denver 17-8 on the fast break. In the third period, however, the Nuggets dominated in transition while outscoring Houston 11-0 on the break.

TURNING POINT: Denver took control of a seemingly competitive game by cranking up its defensive intensity and beating the befuddled Rockets down the floor. The Nuggets limited Houston's penetration and forced low-percentage shot attempts, as well as five turnovers, during a 21-5 run that turned a 57-57 deadlock into a 78-62 Denver lead.

QUOTABLE II: "[The Nuggets] got some run-outs when we weren't getting back on defense. It's been like that for a while. It just snowballs with us. ... We're not able to pull ourselves out of those minor tailspins."
-- Rockets coach Kevin McHale on his players' lack of mental toughness.

HOT: Reserve center JaVale McGee steered clear of the "Shaqtin' A Fool" moments with which Nuggets fans are all too familiar. The 7-footer connected on six of seven shot attempts to go with three blocks, and he utilized his length and athleticism during Denver's game-changing spurt in the third quarter.

NOT: The Rockets have allowed at least 20 points off turnovers in seven of their last 10 games, giving up an average of 22.4 points off giveaways during this stretch. In fact, in its last two home contests, Houston's opponents have each finished with at least 28 points off turnovers.

BAD MOVE: The Rockets fell into a double-digit deficit for the 12th consecutive game, continuing to commit the careless turnovers that have plagued them all season. Houston does not have enough defensive talent to survive placing so much pressure on itself on that end of the court. Without a serious commitment to protecting the ball and operating efficiently on offense, the Rockets will soon find themselves completely out of contention for the Western Conference's final playoff spot.

GOOD MOVE: The Nuggets did not allow Houston's hot shooting from long distance during the opening period to deter them from executing their game plan. Instead of stretching its defense, Denver simply made crisper rotations around the perimeter as it limited the Rockets to 7-for-27 shooting (25.9 percent) from 3-point range after a 4-for-7 start.

NOTABLE: Iguodala, who finished with 14 points Wednesday, has poured in 10,005 points in his career. ... Denver has outscored its opponent in the paint in 25 games in a row. ... The Nuggets have won five consecutive meetings with the Rockets, including four straight in Houston. ... Lawson has scored at least 20 points in five consecutive games against the Rockets. ...Denver improved to 13-3 this season when it collects at least 10 steals and 17-3 when it allows less than 100 points. ... McGee has blocked at least three shots 14 times this season. ... The Nuggets will begin a six-game homestand Saturday against Sacramento. ... Houston fell to 3-12 this season when it makes less than 33.3 percent of its 3-point attempts.

UP NEXT: For the Nuggets: Saturday vs. Sacramento, Monday vs. Indiana, Wednesday vs. Houston. For the Rockets: Friday @ New Orleans, Saturday vs. Brooklyn, Monday @ Utah.

• Nuggets: Miller, Stone
• Rockets: Jones, Motiejunas, White

• Nuggets: --
• Rockets: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
• Officials: #23 Jason Phillips, #74 Curtis Blair, #6 Tony Brown
• Attendance: 16867
• Duration: 2:03