Rockets vs. Nuggets game preview: missed chances and high altitudes

The Houston Rockets don’t have much time to lick their wounds after suffering a season-opening overtime defeat to C.J. McCollum and the Portland Trail Blazers. They have to head to Denver to take on one of the other two teams without a win in the West.

Much like the Blazers, the Nuggets come into the season with high expectations. After becoming the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit twice in the same playoffs, Denver is one of a cluster of Western Conference teams that sees itself as a top 4 team in the West and a real contender. Anything less than another conference finals appearance is probably a failure for this squad after the experience gained from last season.

The Rockets are unlikely to get their first win of the season tonight since they are still missing all the same players that they missed on Saturday night. That includes John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Gordon, and Ben McLemore, among others. Nikola Jokic should score 100 points and pull down 50 rebounds. Jamal Murray will find little resistance on his way to 40 points as well.

Truly, this is a game the Rockets just need to survive. They will get back the rest of their roster for Wednesday’s game against the Sacramento Kings. The season can begin in earnest that night. Tonight they just need to avoid injuries.

Tip-off is at 8pm CT on AT&T SportsNet Southwest