A game of 109:112 made the Rockets restless!

The strong dialogue in the NBA Western Conference made people's blood pressure soar. The Rockets lost to the Nuggets 109-112 at home. Their five-game winning streak was cut short, and their chance to reach second place in the Western Conference was also gone. Falling directly to fifth place in the Western Conference, the Rockets are restless. Today's game was really heart-wrenching. The Rockets dug a 13-point hole in the first quarter, crawled back and overtook them, and then made a crucial attack before the end of the game. In the end, they regretted losing.

The trend of this game was like a roller coaster. The Rockets were not in the state at all in the first quarter. The "big five" lineup announced by Uduka in advance was targeted by the Nuggets. The Nuggets directly went into a small lineup, ran to counterattack, and scored three-pointers. They scored 25 points in the first quarter, while the Rockets only scored 12 points. They fell behind 9-19 in rebounds, and the point difference suddenly widened to 13 points. I originally thought they were going to be defeated, but the Rockets suddenly woke up in the second quarter. Rookie Shepard seemed to be cheating as soon as he came up. He scored three points in a row, made breakthrough layups, and scored 18 points in a single quarter, directly chasing the point difference to 7 points. There were even more climaxes in the third quarter. Jabari Smith Jr. led the team to a 10-0 climax, and the Rockets took the lead. The two sides were inextricably linked. In the fourth quarter, the score was tight. In the last 30 seconds, the Rockets were still 1 point behind. As a result, the key attack was interrupted. In the end, they lost 109-112, and their five-game winning streak came to an abrupt end.

Although they did not win, the Rockets' young players were really good today. "Double No. 1" Shepard and Jabari Smith Jr., plus Amen, these three people almost turned the game around. They were definitely the brightest light in this narrow defeat.

Amen Thompson played really hard today. He made 9 of 17 shots from the field, with a shooting percentage of 52.9%. He scored 2 three-pointers, 2 of 2 free throws, scored 22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, with a team-high plus-minus of +8. The Rockets were still lagging behind in the fourth quarter, but Amen seemed to be on a roll. He scored 11 points in a single quarter, scored two breakthrough layups against the defense, and scored a key three-pointer to tie the point difference. The momentum was exciting to watch. At the end of the third quarter, he stole Murray and then went on a fast break. He was able to score the ball despite Jokic's defense. Although he missed the extra penalty, his physical fitness and big heart are indeed worthy of his status as the fourth overall pick.

Jabari Smith Jr. delivered dazzling statistics of 21 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block. He also committed 6 fouls and was eventually sent off. He played 36 minutes in this game and made 7 of 20 field goals, including 5 of 11 three-pointers and 2 of 3 free throws. It is worth mentioning that 11 rebounds set a new season high for him. The previous record was 10 rebounds (against the Magic on November 17, 2025). And his explosion was concentrated in the second half. He scored 19 points in the second half alone. He hit key three-pointers in the third quarter to help the Rockets narrow the point difference. He also hit three-pointers in the final quarter to help the team chase points. He was considered one of the outstanding players despite the regrets of the Rockets' defeat.

Second-year rookie Reed Sheppard is even more direct. This kid played 36 minutes off the bench, making 9 of 13 shots, 5 of 8 three-pointers, 4 of 6 free throws, scoring 27 points, 4 assists and 2 steals, the highest score on the team! The Rockets were almost beaten in the second quarter. Shepard took over the game as soon as he came on the court. He first caught the ball and hit a three-pointer, then broke through for a layup, and then scored three consecutive three-pointers. 18 points in a single quarter directly stunned the Nuggets' defense, and the point difference was chased from 19 points to 7 points. In the third quarter, he cooperated with Smith again, passing and shooting to continue to put pressure on the Nuggets. In the fourth quarter, he also hit a three-pointer to go ahead and almost became the team's savior. Today's sudden explosion really gave the Rockets' outside firepower a shot in the arm. Fans joked that "Today's Shepard is no different from Curry."

But the young players here are playing well, but the two core players of the Rockets, Durant and Shen Jing, are completely out of control. The two of them are collectively misfiring, and the offensive end is ridiculously inefficient, which directly ruins the team's comeback chance. This is definitely the main reason for the loss.

Let’s talk about Durant first. As the team’s leading scorer, his performance today is simply incomprehensible. He made 5 of 14 shots from the field, with a shooting percentage of only 35.7%, 1 of 5 three-pointers, 2 of 3 free throws, and scored 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 turnovers. Especially in the second half, Durant seemed to have lost his mind, scoring only 4 points on 1 of 7 shots. At the critical moment of the fourth quarter, the Rockets were still 1 point behind. Durant broke through with the ball, but was directly blocked by Nuggets teenager Watson, and then hit the iron from outside the three-point line. A fatal mistake at the last moment completely cost the team the chance to tie. If this state continues, it will be difficult for the Rockets to win against strong teams.

Looking at center Shen Jing, this top center showdown with Jokic was suppressed in all directions, and it can be called a "unilateral beating." Shen Jing made 5 of 14 shots from the field, with a shooting percentage of 35.7%. He scored 14 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, but made 5 turnovers, with a plus-minus value of -12, the lowest on the team. At the end of the quarter, the Rockets were still leading by 2 points. As a result, Shen Jing made consecutive mistakes and blocked shots, which directly allowed the Nuggets to go ahead 5-0 and ruined the good game. On the other hand, Jokic made 14 of 23 shots from the field, with a shooting percentage of 60.9%. He scored 34 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists, a near-triple-double, with a plus-minus value of +11. Whether it was a low post, a high pass or a mid-range shot, Shen Jing was very good at it. What's even more worrying is that Shen Jing's mentality is obviously unbalanced. The more he wants to prove himself, the more eager he is to achieve success. Several passes were intercepted by the Nuggets, and the offensive end also frequently failed, completely losing his stable performance at the beginning of the season.

The dual-core team made a total of 11 of 29 shots, with a total field goal percentage of only 39.3% and 1 of 6 three-pointers. With such an inefficient performance, no matter how hard young players play, it will be difficult to win the game. Even Rockets reporter Bradeaux tweeted: "Playing against the top three teams in the league, when the two best players on the team only make 11 of 29 combined, it is almost impossible to win.. "The key is that no one can stand up and attack. This is definitely the Rockets' biggest shortcoming at present. If Durant and Shen Jing cannot adjust their status as soon as possible, it will be difficult to win against strong teams such as the Jazz and Mavericks.

If the dual-core misfire is a state issue, The coaching of coach Uduka is definitely the root cause of this loss. In this game, the Nuggets coach gave Uduka a vivid tactical lesson. Uduka's stubbornness and rigidity simply ruined a good hand

{1.} Looking at the on-the-spot command, it is even more exciting. What is even more puzzling is that Jokic committed 5 fouls at the end of the third quarter. This is a huge opportunity. As long as the Rockets take the initiative to attack Jokic, there is a high probability that they can send him off, but Uduka did not do anything. Targeted arrangement. Several times in the fourth quarter, the Rockets had the opportunity to let players play Jokic alone, but Uduka still let the team play regular tactics. As a result, Jokic stayed on the court and finally contributed a key assist to help the Nuggets seal the victory. Athletic" directly criticized Uduka after the game: "When the opponent's core has five fouls, any qualified coach will let the players take the initiative to attack, but Uduka did not. This is an unforgivable mistake. "

This 109-112 defeat was both a blow and a warning to the Rockets. The rise of the double-tank team gave the team hope for the future, but the problem of dual-core misfires needs to be solved urgently, and Uduka's coaching adjustment is a top priority. The schedule the Rockets will face next is not easy. I hope the Rockets can learn from this loss, adjust their status as soon as possible, and not let the fans down.

source:vn 7msport