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 Guard Will Barton scored a career high 26 points, forward Danilo
Gallinari had 27 and the Nuggets beat the Rockets 107-98 on Friday
night.
Forward Kenneth Faried had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the
Nuggets, who have won three straight at home after dropping their
first two in Denver.
"It was big to get three in a row," said Gallinari, who set a season
high in points Friday night. "We were looking at this week saying we
needed to get these three at home and we did."
The Nuggets' bench scored 51 points to help overcome the presence of
center Dwight Howard. Howard was suspended for the first game of the
season between the teams, a 105-85 Nuggets win in Houston on Oct.
28.
"That team just went to the Western Conference finals and they're
hungry trying to get championship," Barton said. "To have beaten
them two times, knowing their coming in here getting Dwight back, it
was big for us."
The win spoiled the return of guard Ty Lawson. Lawson spent the
first six years of his career with the Nuggets before being traded
to Houston in the summer.
Lawson got a cool reception from the crowd at Pepsi Center. He was
loudly booed the first few times he touched the ball and then
sporadically the rest of the game.
He didn't look like the player who led Denver to the playoffs four
straight years Friday night. He was scoreless and went 0-for-7 from
the field but had seven assists.
"I just couldn't get a rhythm today," he said. "The second half I
got the shot I wanted it just didn't come off right. Still trying to
get a feel for it."
Guard James Harden led Houston with 28 points, forward Terrence
Jones had 23 points and Howard had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
"We definitely have to do more work on the defensive end, in
defensive transition," Jones said. "The outcome of our games should
be a lot different."
The Nuggets (5-4) led most of the game but their biggest lead was 10
until late in the fourth. Houston (4-5) cut the deficit to one on
several occasions but Denver consistently responded.
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After Harden's three-point play made it 87-86, Barton hit two
straight 3-pointers and guard Jameer Nelson hit a step-back jumper
to push the Nuggets' advantage to 95-89 with 6:22 left.
Barton, who was 4-for-5 from 3-point range, hit two free throws and
Nelson another jumper and a pair of free throws make it 101-89 with
3:09 left.
Barton also brought the crowd to its feet when he went high for a
pass from guard Randy Foye and slammed it home late in the third
quarter.
"Barton off the bench was incredible," Nuggets coach Michael Malone
said.
Gallinari's 3-pointer with 2:12 left gave Denver a 104-91 lead. They
held off the Rockets to clinch the season series.
"We didn't play very well," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "We had
effort issues. We had some times when they outran us. At times they
outhustled us on the boards. There were times that we missed easy
shots and hung our heads. We just aren't playing very well right
now."
Gallinari had 18 points in the first half as Denver led 59-51 at the
break. Houston shot just 36 percent from the field in the first two
quarters but stayed closed by going 20-for-25 from the line.
NOTES: There was a moment of silence before the National Anthem for
the victims of the Paris terror attacks that left more than 100
dead. ... Houston F Donatas Motiejunas continues to sit with a lower
back injury. ... Denver F Wilson Chandler will travel to New York
where he will have season-ending surgery on his right hip. ...
Houston began the season 4-4 a year after coming strong out of the
gate. The Rockets were 16-4 in their first 20 games of 2014-15. ...
Denver C Joffrey Lauvergne (lower back strain) was out of the lineup
for the sixth straight game. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said
Lauvergne is close but wasn't ready to play Friday.
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