The Nuggets needed to reassure everyone, especially the doubters, that they're still the Nuggets. They'd recently been beaten by 39 points at home by the Knicks, and stung by a three-point dagger as time ticked away against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder in another clutch loss. Houston presented a size problem for the smaller Nuggets, but they answered the critics who questioned the team and their playoff chances by throttling the Rockets at home.
The Nuggets led by six at halftime but pulled away to start the third quarter and never looked back, scoring 40 in the quarter, and outscoring the Rockets by 30 in the second half of the 129-93 win.