Rockets star James Harden could only watch as his fourth-quarter turnover turned into a soaring, 360 dunk from Nuggets defensive ace Torrey Craig.
Denver hounded the MVP favorite into a relatively cool night as the Nuggets snapped Houston’s eight-game winning streak with a 105-95 win on Wednesday night. The Rockets had won 10 of the teams’ last 11 meetings.
But a tireless defensive effort, which saw Harden held to 27 points and the Rockets make just 12-of-38 3-pointers, yielded the Nuggets’ seventh win in their last eight games as they moved to 10-3. It was Harden’s second-lowest point total of the season.
“Torrey was great,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “I knew going into this game that this was a tailor-made Torrey Craig type of a game, with a Russell Westbrook, with a James Harden. … Some of the hustle plays that he made and finishing in transition, those were key plays for us.”
Nikola Jokic had a team-high 27 points to go along with 12 rebounds as every starter finished with double-digit scoring. Jamal Murray was off the mark from the field, but he found other ways to affect the game. His nine assists and six steals were both team-highs.
Russell Westbrook finished with 25 points but on an inefficient 8-of-22 shooting night. The credit goes to Craig, Gary Harris and Will Barton for badgering Houston’s star duo.
Craig’s line – eight points, three blocks, two steals – changed the momentum in the second half.
Barton was a menace on both ends as the Nuggets fought to hang onto their lead in the third. He was diligent in his defense on Westbrook and finished off a highlight dunk that epitomized Denver’s third quarter. The Nuggets held the Rockets to 22 points, which they also did in the first quarter, as a result of relentless, multiple-effort defense. Paul Millsap’s block on Harden led to Barton’s transition runout, and the defense continued to open the floor on the other end.
Entering the fourth quarter, where the Nuggets held an 82-73 lead, Denver had a combined 27 points on second-chance and fastbreak opportunities.
Malone emphasized heading into Wednesday night how central Harden was to their overall defensive strategy. He harped on it, over and over, almost minimizing the attention Westbrook, a former MVP, would warrant.
“I think he’s seen every conceivable defensive coverage, and he demands that kind of attention,” Malone said. “I’ve been in the league 19 years, no disrespect to all the other great players in those 19 years, but he’s, I think, the toughest guy to prepare for. … You want to force him left? He’s going to beat you. You want to force him right? He can still beat you. He’s one of those guys, when you’re watching film, it’s like watching a horror movie because he’s that talented of a player.”
Because of his deceptive style and unassuming quickness, no player in the league earns more free throws per game than Harden at 14.5 per game.
“He’s a master at drawing the foul,” Malone said. “They changed NBA rules because of James Harden, so you know he’s doing something right. You have to show your hands. You can’t get caught with your hand over the ball, he does a great job of drawing contact and raking that ball through.”
All things considered, the Nuggets did an admirable job on Harden in the first half. Though he finished with 18 points, he wasn’t nearly as dominant as he’s capable of. By varying their defensive coverages and showing him multiple bodies, the Nuggets also forced three turnovers from the perennial MVP candidate.
The Nuggets owned a 54-51 lead after two quarters, thanks in large part to Jokic’s interior presence. Multiple times he found space and exploited Houston’s undersized frontcourt. He finished with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the first half.
Denver also got nice contributions from Barton (9 points) and Harris (7). The latter had struggled with his finishes throughout the early portion of the season, but he was invaluable on both ends of the floor on Wednesday.
