Rockets prevent Nuggets from clinching West with 124-103 win

HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green scored 32 points,six others scored in double figures and the last-place HoustonRockets prevented the Denver Nuggets from clinching the No. 1 seedin the Western Conference with a 124-103 victory in their homefinale on Tuesday night.

Denver entered Tuesday three games ahead of Memphis for the topspot in the Western Conference with four games remaining for bothteams. At 19-60 entering Tuesday, the Rockets stood 33 1/2 gamesbehind Denver’s 52-26 record.

But none of that mattered to the upstart Rockets, hoping to enda rocky season on a positive note.

“When we stay together as a team, feed off each others’ energyand just play hard, the sky’s the limit,” Green said. “We competedwith the best in the NBA.”

Denver had a sluggish start to the fourth quarter, making justone field goal in the first five minutes. Houston went on a 16-4run in that stretch.

Running away with the game late, the young Rockets went on adunking spree, firing up the Toyota Center crowd for the homefinale. After the fourth dunk of the quarter, a thunderous,two-handed windmill dunk in transition from Tari Eason, Nuggetscoach Michael Malone called timeout with 5:33 remaining in the gameand pulled his starters.

“If that’s how we’re going to play, we’ll be out in the firstround,” Malone said after the game. “When we don’t do our jobs,there’s accountability. And I speak the truth. I just called ourteam, ‘soft,’ and I dared someone to challenge me. No one did,because we as a group were soft tonight. I’m not saying we aresoft, but tonight, we were.”

The Rockets outscored the Nuggets 38-18 in the fourthquarter.

Alperen Sengun had 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists,Kevin Porter Jr. had 20 points and nine assists, and Jabari SmithJr. had 16 points and 13 rebounds. Eason added 11 points off thebench for Houston.

“There was a lot of defensive activity, the guys were in theright spots, they were making it hard on them,” Rockets coachStephen Silas said. “I thought (Sengun) had the best defensive gameof his career.”

Michael Porter Jr. led Denver with 23 points, and Nikola Jokichad 14 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes. After missing threegames with right calf tightness, Jokic also added a sloppy eightturnovers and went 7 for 13 from the field. Aaron Gordon added 13points, nine rebounds and four blocks.

“We started the game OK, but we just lost it,” Jokic said. “Thewhole game was in their favor. Even when we were finding openshots, we couldn’t make shots. We didn’t make free throws, theywere blocking our shots, we had a huge amount of turnovers — it wasa one-sided game.”

As for coming back from his brief absence, the two-time MVP saidhe “felt good — just didn’t play good.”

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray left the game early in the secondquarter with a right thumb sprain. He was listed as questionablewith the same injury and was ruled out late in the third quarter.In nine minutes, he had two points and four assists.

Malone said the team would be smart in deciding whether Murraycan play again in the remaining three regular-season games.

With the Rockets finishing the last two games of the season onthe road, Houston finished the season 14-27 at home.

Denver had won the previous 10 meetings.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a team-low 23 points inthe plus-minus category and Jokic was at -21. … PF Zeke Nnajimissed a second straight game with a right knee sprain.

Rockets: F Jae’Sean Tate remained out with left kneesoreness.

HE SAID IT

“Fun level was at an all-time high. Before the game, we weretalking about how we wanted to put on a show and end this homestretch with a win. Everyone had good energy, played hard and wecame out with a dub.” -- Jalen Green

¡GOL!

Soccer star Houston Dynamo FC midfielder Héctor Herrera made hispregame free throw, earning a $5,000 donation for the RocketsClutch City Foundation. Herrera is captain of both the Dynamo andthe Mexican national team.

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Visit Phoenix on Thursday night.

Rockets: Finish the season with a road trip to Charlotte andWashington on Friday and Sunday, respectively.