Game Preview: Nuggets at Rockets
By Mathew Huff
The Denver Nuggets will face an extremely tough Houston Rockets squad.
The Denver Nuggets will be without their veteran star, Paul Millsap for awhile. As a result, this makes their schedule and path to the post season even tougher.
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Their second test without Paul Millsap will be an extremely tough game against the the first place Houston Rockets.
The Rockets just recently got back Chris Paul to pair with MVP candidate, James Harden which will be an extremely difficult back court to guard for the Denver Nuggets. Gary Harris and Jamal Murray will have to be on top of their game as the Rockets are most likely aware their weakness is their front court.
As a result, they will most likely key in on Nikola Jokic defensively which they can do now that Millsap is out indefinitely. Guys like Wilson Chandler, Trey Lyles and Kenneth Faried will be players who need to step up in order to get the upset on the road. The bench will also be key as Houston’s second unit is led by the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Eric Gordon who can stretch the floor very effectively.
Oh, and in case it needs to be said, the Nuggets must limit the three point opportunities considering Mike D’Antoni loves lay ups and perimeter shots. If Coach Malone is smart, he will force the Rockets into tough shots from mid range and take away the shots they want while forcing the role players to step up for Houston.
The ball movement for the Nuggets needs to continue to be great as the Rockets are one of the best teams in the league right now.
Next: Paul Millsap out indefinitely
Denver will have their hands full with the Rockets, but if they execute in the correct areas, they could actually pull off the upset.