In an absolute thriller that came down to the wire, the Denver Nuggets continued to stack up wins with a hard-fought 128–125 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets at Ball Arena.
The night belonged to Nikola Jokić, who delivered a spectacular 39-point triple-double to go along with 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Despite fouling out in the extra period, Jokić had already done more than enough to put Denver in position to win. Jamal Murray also played a crucial role, pouring in 35 points and five assists, including the first four points of overtime that set the tone for the final five minutes.
Houston competed until the very end. With the Rockets holding a one-point lead in the closing seconds of regulation, Amen Thompson committed an off-ball foul on Tim Hardaway Jr., sending Murray to the line. Murray calmly knocked down the free throw to tie the game and force overtime.
Alperen Şengün put on a show of his own for Houston, recording a triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Rockets’ young core showed resilience and poise, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Denver’s execution in crunch time.
What makes the Nuggets’ five-game winning streak even more impressive is that they are doing it shorthanded. Denver remains without Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain) and Christian Braun (left ankle sprain), with no clear timetable for either player’s return. Still, the Nuggets are finding ways to win and getting contributions across the roster.
Two way player on and off the court
One of those key contributors was Spencer Jones, who stepped up on both ends of the floor. Jones provided energy, physical defense, and timely offense, embracing a challenging role against multiple matchups throughout the game.
“The defense that he brings, the intensity on the rebounds—it’s just the growth and confidence to shoot the ball when he’s open,” head coach David Adelman said postgame. “He was chasing guys around, fighting through pick-and-rolls, guarding up, we had him on Şengün at times. That’s a lot of responsibility for a guy on a two-way contract. I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about Spence.”