Denver Nuggets vs Houston Rockets Prediction & Match Preview - January 1st, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22

The Denver Nuggets will open their New Year with a rematch against the Houston Rockets. [Photo: NBA.com]

The Denver Nuggets will start their New Year on the road against the Houston Rockets on Saturday at the Toyota Center.

Head coach Mike Malone’s team have had three days off following the postponement of their second game against the Golden State Warriors. The long days between games should bode well for reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. He has been carrying the team amidst injuries and virus protocols.

The Denver Nuggets are in fifth place in the Western Conference standings. They are one of eight teams who have a realistic chance of making at least the play-in tournament. Opening the year with a big win against the lowly Houston Rockets would be the best start they'll hope for.

The Houston Rockets, meanwhile, are again mired in a losing streak. They are 2-9 in their last eleven games, including a five-game losing streak. The Rockets played quite well against the LA Lakers, but had no answer against LeBron James late in the game.

Evening work. 💼 https://t.co/UCt1eJO7vj

Stephen Silas’ team continues to value the development of their young guns more than wins at this point. Their 10-25 season record is only better than the injury-plagued Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic's.

However, they gave a tough fight to the Denver Nuggets in their last meeting. They only lost by the slimmest of margins, and would hope to pull an upset in their second meeting.

Match Details

Fixture: Denver Nuggets vs Houston Rockets.

Date & Time: Saturday, January 1st; 8:00 PM (Sunday, January 2nd, 6:30 AM IST).

Venue: Target Center, Houston, TX.

Denver Nuggets Preview

Nikola Jokic needs all the help he can get to carry the Denver Nuggets into the playoffs. [Photo: Nugg Love]

The Denver Nuggets are 17-16 despite missing the services of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. for most of the season. Nikola Jokic, too, has missed a few games due to injury. That they are still in the playoff race speaks volumes of how resilient the team has been.

Aside from the two integral pieces in their lineup, the Nuggets also missed Montee Morris and Aaron Gordon in the last few games. They have managed to keep their heads above water largely due to the brilliance of reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.

Jokic ended with 22 points, 19 rebounds, five assists and four steals. He also blocked the potential game-tying three-point shot by Jonathan Kuminga to confirm the Nuggets' victory. Denver will lean heavily yet again on their underrated superstar against the young Houston Rockets.

Key Player - Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic remains criminally underrated despite being the current NBA MVP. While the recent virus surge has decimated lineups, the Serbian international has only quietly carried the depleted Denver Nuggets since the start of the season.

The three-time All-Star is having one of his best seasons ever. His numbers are off the charts, yet he rarely gets mentioned in MVP conversations. Jokic is averaging 25.8 points, 14 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season.

Why is Nikola Jokic sometimes overlooked?

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone weighs in.

“You have to be a basketball fan, a true basketball fan, to appreciate Nikola’s greatness."

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If the Denver Nuggets can inch their way closer to a 50-win season, Jokic could leapfrog to the top of the MVP race.

Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup

G - Montee Morris | G - Austin Rivers | F - Will Barton | F - Jeff Green | C - Nikola Jokic.

Houston Rockets Preview

The Houston Rockets will live or die by the development of their young core. [Photo: AP News]

The Houston Rockets showed plenty of fight in their last game against the LA Lakers. Seven of their eight players who suited up finished with at least ten points. The Rockets were led by the exciting and ultra-talented backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green.

Turnovers will always be the key for the Houston Rockets this season. They are usually in the mix of things if they can take care of the ball. They only had 14 against the Lakers, which was a big reason why they were competitive in that game.

Kevin Porter Jr:
22 PTS, 5 REB, 9 AST
1 BLK, 1 STL, 5 3PM
8-17 FG, 61.5 TS%

Jalen Green:
24 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST
2 STL, 4 3PM
8-16 FG, 65.9 TS%

Progress 🚀 https://t.co/0MzlI0hMhv

The development of the young core is the Houston Rockets’ biggest priority this season. Considering the way Porter Jr., Green and the youthful roster are playing, Houston’s future is starting to look bright.

Key Player - Jalen Green

There’s a reason why the Houston Rockets drafted Jalen Green as the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He is oozing with athleticism and talent, and his ceiling appears to be scary. The Houston Rockets are going all-in on Green, which is why they are practically sacrificing the season for his development.

The 19-year-old rookie is averaging 14.8 points, three rebounds and 2.4 assists per contest. Under the tutelage of assistant coach John Lucas, Green seems to be taking better care of the ball and playing with more fluidity.

Jalen Green's 14 points is the most points scored in the 4th quarter by a drafted rookie this season

Clutch gene https://t.co/lNlABrWl4x

The Houston Rockets will hope to give the Denver Nuggets another tough game, and maybe even get a much-needed win.

Houston Rockets Predicted Lineup

G - Kevin Porter Jr. | G - Jalen Green | F - Eric Gordon | F - David Nwaba | C - Christian Wood.

Nuggets vs Rockets Match Prediction

As long as Nikola Jokic plays, the Denver Nuggets are as strong as any team dealing with injuries. Montee Morris and Aaron Gordon should be back after a long break, which should only make them stronger.

Nikola Jokic and company could start the New Year with a win against the Houston Rockets.

Where to watch the Nuggets vs Rockets match?

The NBA League Pass will live stream the game between the Nuggets and the Rockets. Local coverage of the matchup will be available on AT&T SportsNet and ALT Sports.