3rd quarter report
The Rockets and Nuggets showed up to the game, but their offenses did not. The Rockets are in perfect control of the game with a 102-82 lead over the Nuggets.
The Rockets entered the competition having won four straight and are now just a quarter back. Will they make it five, or will the Nuggets step in and ruin it? We will know soon.
Who’s playing
Houston Rockets@Denver Nuggets
Current records: Houston 26-12, Denver 24-15
How to watch
- When: Wednesday January 15, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET
- Or: Ball Arena – Denver, Colorado
- TV: Altitude sports and entertainment
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $14.70
What you need to know
The Nuggets will be in front of their home fans on Wednesday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. After playing yesterday, they will return immediately and host the Houston Rockets at 9 p.m. ET at Ball Arena. Each of these teams will be fighting to maintain a four-game winning streak.
On Tuesday, everything went in the Nuggets’ favor against the Mavericks as the Nuggets took a 118-99 victory. Oddsmakers were on Denver’s side, but they didn’t give the team enough credit because the margin was surprisingly wide.
Jamal Murray was nothing short of spectacular: he made 18 of 26 en route to 45 points plus six assists and two steals. Additionally, he also posted a field goal percentage of 69.2%, which is the highest he has posted since February 2024.
Meanwhile, the Rockets recorded their closest victory since November 10, 2024 on Monday. They had just enough and edged the Grizzlies 120-118. Houston trailed 91-78 with 1:53 left in the third quarter, but they still came back for a handy two-point victory.
Jalen Green had a dynamite game for the Rockets, going 13 of 18 on his way to 42 points. Green’s night made it five straight games in which he scored at least 30 points.
The Rockets broke the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds (they are ranked first in total offensive rebounds per game). This strong performance was nothing new for the team: they have now pulled down at least 14 offensive rebounds in five straight games.
Denver’s win was their fourth straight on the road, improving their record to 24-15. As for Houston, they have performed well recently as they have won five of their last six games, which has given a nice improvement to their record of 26-12 this season.
This competition is shaping up to be a blast: the Nuggets have been insanely accurate this season, making 49.9% of their field goals per game (they are ranked second in overall field goal percentage). It’s a different story for the Rockets, as they’ve only made 44.5 percent of theirs this season. Given the Nuggets’ considerable advantage in this area, the Rockets will need to find a way to close this gap.
The Nuggets fell short against the Rockets in their previous matchup in December 2023, losing 114-106. Can the Nuggets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll know soon enough.
Odds
Houston is slight favorite with 1 point against Denver, according to the latest NBA Odds.
The line on this game has moved a bit since it opened, as it started with the Nuggets as 1-point favorites.
The over/under is 231 points.
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History of the series
Denver has won 6 of its last 10 games against Houston.
- December 8, 2023 – Houston 114 vs. Denver 106
- November 29, 2023 – Denver 134 vs. Houston 124
- November 24, 2023 – Houston 105 vs. Denver 86
- November 12, 2023 – Houston 107 vs. Denver 104
- April 4, 2023 – Houston 124 vs. Denver 103
- February 28, 2023 – Denver 133 vs. Houston 112
- November 30, 2022 – Denver 120 vs. Houston 100
- November 28, 2022 – Denver 129 vs. Houston 113
- March 4, 2022 – Denver 116 vs. Houston 101
- January 1, 2022 – Denver 124 vs. Houston 111
