Blowouts becoming routine amid skid
No answer for Jokic and company as team sinks to NBA’s worst mark
Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. ran down the clock on the final possession of the third quarter and launched a 3-pointer. When it missed, dropping him to 0 for 8, he turned and walked slowly toward the Rockets’ bench, seeming thoroughly dejected.
The Rockets had trailed by as much as 22, the fifth consecutive game they were down by 20 or more. He could do little to change that. But as veteran center Kelly Olynyk rushed over to offer a few words, with rookie forward Jae’Sean Tate quickly joining them, the pain of the fall to the NBA’s worst record and the goal to make it through the growing pains were clear.
At that moment, and as Porter quickly finished a drive with a two-handed jam, the Rockets were left to cling to the hope that they can be better later by taking lumps now. There were plenty of lumps, with the Nuggets sending the Rockets to a fifth consecutive loss and 10th in 11 games, 128-99, without ever seeming challenged.
The Nuggets were the fifth consecutive Rockets opponent to score at least 125 points, sending the Rockets to their most lopsided defeat since the Celtics rolled to a 134-107 win 19 games ago on March 14.
When Porter and Tate sat after a few fourth-quarter minutes, the benches were cleared early. Nuggets
star Nikola Jokic needed only 27 minutes to score 29 points with 16 rebounds and seven assists, dominating so completely that he not only made 10 of 12 shots, he grabbed the rebound and scored after the two he missed.
Michael Porter Jr. had 21 points for the Nuggets, who made 53 percent of their shots through three quarters before handing the game off to the reserves.
Olynyk led the Rockets with 23 points, making 10 of 14 shots, and Tate added 21 on 9-of-13 shooting. But the Rockets were so entirely overpowered that the duo had six and five rebounds, respectively, and were the Rockets’ leading rebounders until KJ Martin began piling them up in the fourth quarter.
With the Rockets missing five rotation players, clearing the bench was particularly poor as the Nuggets took a lead that was 19 when the benches were cleared and pushed it to 29.
Having faced deficits of at least 20 in the first half of each of their previous four games, the Rockets were determined to get off to a better start and for three, maybe even three and a half minutes, they did. After
that, the Nuggets made nearly everything look easy.
The Nuggets did not sink the Rockets into their customary 20-point hole until taking a 69-49 lead in the final minute of the first half, but they got there with the starters seeming capable of dominating however much the spirit moved them.
To no surprise, Jokic added to his MVP candidacy highlight reel. He made 7 of his 8 shots in the first half, putting the one he missed back in. He grabbed nine rebounds in 16 minutes. He had four assists, including one no-look, over-the-head dish to a cutting P.J. Dozier that could not have been easier if they were alone on Jokic’s driveway.
The Rockets could do little to slow the Nuggets but did successfully hinder their own offense. While Olynyk and Tate combined for 25 points on 11 of 17 shooting, the Rockets backcourt combined on a disaster of a half. While Porter missed all five shots he attempted, Wall had seven turnovers, three more than the entire Nuggets team.
The Nuggets would have had little reason to turn it over, moving to open shots with little interference. The Rockets starters did not get a steal in the first half, with the Rockets’ best defense seeming to be hoping the Nuggets would miss.
The Nuggets did misfire a bit from deep but still made 55.3 percent of their shots in the first half, as has become typical for Rockets.