For the second night in a row, the Rockets led the Nuggets at halftime, but lost the game. Both losses hurt Houston's playoff hopes, as the teams were tied in the standings entering Sunday.
The Rockets lost a vital home game Monday night, as the Nuggets used a strong second half to rally for a 105-102 win. With the loss, the Rockets lead the ninth-place Phoenix Suns by a half-game in the Western Conference standings, and the Suns currently are playing.
Goran Dragic and Chandler Parsons both finished with 21 points. Luis Scola had a double-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
The Rockets led by nine at one point in the third quarter, but the Nuggets chipped away and eventually led by one at the end of the quarter. Houston had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but Scola missed a two-pointer trailing by two with five seconds left and Parson missed a long three-pointer at the buzzer.
After shooting 35.6 percent in the first half, the Nuggets shot 57.1 percent in the second half, finishing at 47.5 percent for the game. The Rockets shot 42.6 percent for the game, including 27.6 percent (8-for-29) from three-point range.
Read more about the Rockets at The Dream Shake blog.