Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets game preview

The Houston Rockets head to the Mile High City for a matinee matchup against the Denver Nuggets.

The Rockets have played their last three games in the best possible way: keeping close to contenders only to lose late. That gives the team meaningful minutes for the younger players and an opportunity for Stephen Silas to work on his own rotations and coaching. And with Houston holding their own first round pick this season, well...

The Nuggets sport last season’s MVP Nikola Jokic, who’s drawing comparisons to Alperen Sengun and totally not the other way around. Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, and Monte Morris pick up the rest of the scoring slack while the team awaits Jamal Murray’s return from an ACL tear he suffered last season. With the West being as wide open as ever, Murray’s return could help swing Denver’s future in the postseason.

For Houston, the key tonight will be depth once again. For some players, this will be their first (or one of their first) experience with playing in altitude. We’ve seen incredible athletes throughout the years struggle in Denver’s oxygen. With a back-to-back in San Francisco tomorrow, it’s imperative for Silas to remember that he has a deep bench right now unlike all of last season.

Just to reiterate, today’s game has an early start time.

Tip-off is at 4pm CT on AT&T SportsNet Southwest