December 21st - The Rockets defeated the Nuggets 115-101 . For the Rockets, Durant had a balanced output with 31 points , 6 rebounds , and 5 assists, Sheppard contributed 28 points and 6 assists, and Smith added 22 points and 10 rebounds. For the Nuggets, Jokic scored 25 points , 7 rebounds , and 5 assists, while Murray had 16 points and 7 assists, but it wasn't enough to secure a victory.

At the start of the game, the Nuggets fell behind the Rockets, but quickly rallied with Jokic's orchestration to take the lead, ending the first quarter with a 29-26 advantage. In the second quarter, the Nuggets briefly extended their lead before their offense stalled, and Durant capitalized on the opportunity, scoring 10 points in the quarter , giving the Rockets a 53-45 lead at halftime.

After switching sides, the Nuggets intensified their offense and briefly narrowed the gap. However, Sheppard hit consecutive three-pointers, helping the Rockets regain a double-digit lead. At the end of the third quarter, the Rockets led 82-66 . In the final quarter, the Nuggets cut the deficit to around 10 points, but Durant scored consecutive points to stabilize the situation. Ultimately, the Rockets defeated the Nuggets 115-101.

Rockets player statistics

Durant 31 points , 6 rebounds , 5 assists; Sheppard 28 points , 2 rebounds , 6 assists; Smith 22 points , 10 rebounds, 2 assists; Thompson 16 points , 4 rebounds, 6 assists; Okogie 9 points , 3 rebounds , 1 assist; Shen Jing 8 points, 6 rebounds , 4 assists; Adams 1 point , 12 rebounds; Holiday 4 rebounds

Nuggets player statistics

Jokic 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists; Murray 16 points, 4 rebounds , 7 assists; Brown 12 points , 12 rebounds , 1 assist; Pickett 10 points, 4 rebounds , 1 assist; Valanciunas 10 points , 1 rebound , 1 assist; Jones 9 points , 4 rebounds , 2 assists; Hardaway 8 points, 2 rebounds; Johnson 6 points , 4 rebounds , 3 assists; Tyson 2 points, 1 rebound.