DENVER -- — Jalen Green scored 34 points, Alperen Sengun had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and the Houston Rockets beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 128-108 on Wednesday night.

Green, who hit six 3-pointers, continued his recent scoring surge. He is averaging 32 points in Houston's last six games, including a career-best 42 points against Memphis on Monday.

Fred VanVleet added 16 points, eight assists and three steals for the Rockets, who beat Denver for the fifth time in six meetings.

The Nuggets were without two of their five leading scorers in reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic (right elbow inflammation) and Aaron Gordon (right calf injury).

Jamal Murray and Christian Braun each scored 22 point for Denver, which had 18 turnovers in the loss, including five apiece from its starting backcourt of Murray and Russell Westbrook.

Takeaways

Rockets: Houston won its fifth in a row and improved to 10-3 in its last 13 games to solidify its standing as the No. 2 team in the Western Conference.

Nuggets: Denver, which had won eight of its previous 10 games, absorbed its most lopsided defeat since a 145-118 loss to the New York Knicks on Nov. 25.

Key moment

Houston opened the second quarter on an 8-2 run that was capped off by a corner 3 by former Nugget Jeff Green that stretched the Rockets' lead to 11 points. Houston outscored Denver 41-25 in the period to take a 69-48 lead into halftime.

Key stat

The loss was Denver’s eighth in 20 home games this season, matching the Nuggets’ home loss total across 41 regular-season games in 2023-24.

Up next

Houston continues its three-game road swing Thursday at Sacramento. The Nuggets are back in action Friday at the Miami Heat.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Alperen Sengun vs. DeAndre Jordan (Michael Porter Jr. gains possession)	0	0
11:48	Russell Westbrook out of bounds bad pass turnover	0	0
11:30	Fred VanVleet makes 26-foot three point jumper (Alperen Sengun assists)	0	3
11:10	Jamal Murray misses 15-foot two point shot	0	3
11:09	DeAndre Jordan offensive rebound	0	3
11:09	Dillon Brooks personal foul	0	3
11:01	Russell Westbrook bad pass (Dillon Brooks steals)	0	3
10:58	Fred VanVleet misses 27-foot three point shot	0	3
10:55	Jamal Murray defensive rebound	0	3
10:41	Jamal Murray makes 26-foot three point step back jumpshot	3	3
10:23	Jalen Green makes 19-foot pullup jump shot	3	5
10:01	Russell Westbrook misses 25-foot three point jumper	3	5
9:57	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	3	5
9:52	Alperen Sengun misses 25-foot three point shot	3	5
9:50	DeAndre Jordan defensive rebound	3	5
9:46	Christian Braun steps out of bounds turnover	3	5
9:37	Amen Thompson makes 2-foot alley oop dunk shot (Alperen Sengun assists)	3	7
9:16	Russell Westbrook makes 22-foot three point jumper (Jamal Murray assists)	6	7
8:57	Alperen Sengun makes 2-foot dunk	6	9
8:40	Christian Braun makes 7-foot two point shot (Jamal Murray assists)	8	9
8:28	Jalen Green makes 25-foot three pointer (Alperen Sengun assists)	8	12
8:28	Michael Porter Jr. shooting foul	8	12
8:28	Nuggets Full timeout	8	12
8:28	Jalen Green makes free throw 1 of 1	8	13
8:08	Jamal Murray misses 15-foot two point shot	8	13
8:02	Dillon Brooks defensive rebound	8	13
8:00	Amen Thompson misses two point shot	8	13
7:59	Michael Porter Jr. defensive rebound	8	13
7:56	Michael Porter Jr. out of bounds bad pass turnover	8	13
7:34	Alperen Sengun misses 6-foot two point shot	8	13
7:33	DeAndre Jordan defensive rebound	8	13
7:25	Jamal Murray makes 4-foot two point shot	10	13
7:12	Amen Thompson makes driving layup	10	15
6:46	shot clock turnover	10	15
6:35	Alperen Sengun traveling	10	15
6:21	Russell Westbrook misses two point shot	10	15
6:20	Michael Porter Jr. offensive rebound	10	15
6:20	Fred VanVleet shooting foul	10	15
6:20	Michael Porter Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2	11	15
6:20	Michael Porter Jr. misses free throw 2 of 2	11	15
6:18	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	11	15
6:02	DeAndre Jordan blocks Alperen Sengun 's 6-foot two point shot	11	15
5:58	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	11	15
5:57	DeAndre Jordan blocks Alperen Sengun 's 5-foot two point shot	11	15
5:57	Russell Westbrook defensive rebound	11	15
5:50	Russell Westbrook bad pass (Amen Thompson steals)	11	15
5:50	DeAndre Jordan shooting foul	11	15
5:50	Amen Thompson makes free throw 1 of 2	11	16
5:50	Amen Thompson misses free throw 2 of 2	11	16
5:50	Rockets offensive team rebound	11	16
5:50	Michael Porter Jr. loose ball foul	11	16
5:50	Peyton Watson enters the game for Michael Porter Jr.	11	16
5:39	DeAndre Jordan blocks Fred VanVleet 's 3-foot layup	11	16
5:36	Jalen Green offensive rebound	11	16
5:34	Jalen Green misses 23-foot three point step back jumpshot	11	16
5:31	Jamal Murray defensive rebound	11	16
5:24	Russell Westbrook bad pass (Alperen Sengun steals)	11	16
5:18	Peyton Watson blocks Alperen Sengun 's 4-foot two point shot	11	16
5:18	Rockets offensive team rebound	11	16
5:18	Julian Strawther enters the game for Russell Westbrook	11	16
5:11	Jalen Green misses 23-foot three point jumper	11	16
5:08	Peyton Watson defensive rebound	11	16
4:53	Christian Braun makes 10-foot driving floating jump shot (Jamal Murray assists)	13	16
4:35	Fred VanVleet makes 27-foot three pointer	13	19
4:12	Jalen Green blocks Jamal Murray 's 4-foot layup	13	19
4:06	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	13	19
3:57	DeAndre Jordan shooting foul	13	19
3:57	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 1 of 2	13	20
3:57	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 2 of 2	13	21
3:57	Dario Saric enters the game for DeAndre Jordan	13	21
3:57	Jae'Sean Tate enters the game for Amen Thompson	13	21
3:41	Julian Strawther makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot	15	21
3:19	Dillon Brooks misses 26-foot three point jumper	15	21
3:16	Peyton Watson defensive rebound	15	21
3:12	Jalen Green shooting foul	15	21
3:12	Peyton Watson misses free throw 1 of 2	15	21
3:12	Peyton Watson makes free throw 2 of 2	16	21
3:12	Nuggets offensive team rebound	16	21
3:12	Steven Adams enters the game for Alperen Sengun	16	21
3:00	Jalen Green misses driving layup	16	21
3:00	Rockets offensive team rebound	16	21
2:50	Steven Adams makes layup (Fred VanVleet assists)	16	23
2:34	Christian Braun makes 2-foot layup (Jamal Murray assists)	18	23
2:23	Dillon Brooks traveling	18	23
2:23	Rockets Full timeout	18	23
2:23	Jalen Pickett enters the game for Jamal Murray	18	23
2:23	Cam Whitmore enters the game for Fred VanVleet	18	23
2:23	Amen Thompson enters the game for Dillon Brooks	18	23
2:08	Julian Strawther misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	18	23
2:04	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	18	23
1:49	Cam Whitmore makes 27-foot three pointer (Jalen Green assists)	18	26
1:34	Jae'Sean Tate personal foul	18	26
1:27	Cam Whitmore blocks Julian Strawther 's 4-foot driving layup	18	26
1:27	Nuggets offensive team rebound	18	26
1:23	Julian Strawther bad pass (Amen Thompson steals)	18	26
1:16	Amen Thompson bad pass (Jalen Pickett steals)	18	26
1:12	Jalen Pickett makes two point shot	20	26
50.0	Jae'Sean Tate makes 3-foot two point shot	20	28
33.1	Jalen Pickett misses 6-foot two point shot	20	28
27.1	Christian Braun offensive rebound	20	28
22.1	Christian Braun makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot	23	28
21.1	Rockets Full timeout	23	28
21.1	Russell Westbrook enters the game for Julian Strawther	23	28
21.1	Fred VanVleet enters the game for Jae'Sean Tate	23	28
21.1	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Steven Adams	23	28
3.1	Amen Thompson bad pass (Russell Westbrook steals)	23	28
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	23	28

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

Ball Arena

Denver, CO

Date & Time

2:00 AM, January 16, 2025

Coverage

NBA League Pass, Altitude Sports, Space City Home Network

Attendance

19,837

Referees

Derrick Collins, CJ Washington, Ben Taylor

2025-26 Southwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
San Antonio	43	16	.729	W11
Houston	37	22	.627	L1
Memphis	22	36	.379	W1
Dallas	21	38	.356	L2
New Orleans	19	42	.311	W4

2025-26 Northwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Oklahoma City	46	15	.754	W1
Denver	37	23	.617	L1
Minnesota	37	23	.617	W2
Portland	29	32	.475	L1
Utah	18	42	.300	L5

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Green and Sengun help the Rockets beat the short-handed Nuggets 128-108

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