(Sports Network) - There are just a handful of teams in the NBA sporting
nearly unblemished home records. The Denver Nuggets are one of them and will
look to keep the reputation going Wednesday versus the Houston Rockets.
The Nuggets are 18-3 at the Pepsi Center this season and have won three in a
row there, including Monday's 102-101 decision over the Indiana Pacers. Andre
Iguodala was fouled with 0.5 seconds left in regulation on a lob pass from
Andre Miller, and sank the first one to break a tie.
Iguodala, in his first season with Denver since a summer trade, purposely
missed the second foul shot to run out the clock.
"I thought he got fouled. I didn't think it was a bad call," said Denver coach
George Karl. "In a perfect scenario, he would have come wide open; he came
partially open. He threw the ball; Andre (Miller) makes good decisions and he
put the ball in a place where I thought he got fouled."
Iguodala finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Danilo
Gallinari scored 27 points and Ty Lawson added 18 points, seven assists and
five steals in the victory. The Nuggets have won four straight overall and 10
of their last 12 games, and are sixth in the West standings.
The Nuggets, who are fourth in the NBA with 103.5 ppg but 24th in opponents'
scoring (100.5 ppg), still have New Orleans, Milwaukee and Chicago scheduled
to visit the Rocky Mountains.
In injury news for Denver, forward Wilson Chandler (groin) and center JaVale
McGee (tibia) are both questionable versus the Rockets.
Wednesday's game should be a high-scoring affair as Houston sits second in the
NBA with 104.9 ppg and is only 27th in defense, allowing 102.4 ppg.
The Rockets have won three in a row and four of their last five games, and
recorded a 125-80 blasting of the Utah Jazz the last time out Monday night.
James Harden, who is fifth in the NBA with 26.0 ppg, scored 25 points and
Jeremy Lin registered 12 points and seven assists. Harden is averaging 27.2
ppg in his last five for Houston, which appears to have righted the ship
following a seven-game slide.
"Our guys played the right way, sharing the basketball and making the right
play. Our guys have the confidence to knock down shots and it is hard to guard
us when we're playing that way," Harden said after the Rockets handed the Jazz
their worst home loss in team history.
It was the first NBA game this season in which a team outscored its opponent
by a margin of at least six points in each quarter. Omer Asik matched his
career-best 19 rebounds and Houston led by as many as 50 points.
The Houston bench outscored Utah's reserves, 60-41, and the team made 52.8
percent from the field. The Rockets, who are 10-14 on the road and have won
three straight as the guest, have scored 100-plus points in each of the last
three games and have a 73-18 advantage in fastbreak points in that span.
Houston has lost the first two meetings with Denver this season -- both at
home -- and five straight overall. The two teams have split the previous 12
matchups at the Pepsi Center and will meet again April 6.
The Sports Network