HOUSTON — On Tuesday, the Nuggets were a step slow, or, considering their surroundings in Texas, two steps.
The Nuggets beat Dallas on Monday but couldn’t keep up with Houston on Tuesday night, losing 108-96 at the Toyota Center. The Rockets (16-9) shot a sizzling 55.3 percent from the field, while only two Denver starters scored in double digits.
With the loss, the Nuggets slipped to 17-8, splitting the back-to-back games against winning teams from Texas. Now, the Nuggets head back to Denver for a Friday night game against Cleveland, followed Saturday with a game at Phoenix.
The Nuggets led by five at the half, but Houston outscored Denver 29-18 in the third, and the Rockets went into the fourth with a six-point lead.
The Nuggets were, at least, still in the game thanks to their bench. Guard J.R. Smith finished with 17 points, center Chris Andersen had 11 (in 17 minutes) and forward Linas Kleiza 13, including three 3-pointers. This bench outpour was timely, because Kenyon Martin scored just six points and Chauncey Billups had only eight.
The Rockets’ Tracy McGrady had a triple-double 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, good for just his fourth-career triple-double.
And Houston center Yao Ming scored a game-high 32.
