Houston Rockets 110, Denver Nuggets 100: The glass and a first-half hole

The Houston Rockets won this game in the first half and on the glass. They led 54-40 at the break, outrebounded Denver 51-39 and held on 110-100 at Toyota Center on Monday night. Jamal Murray scored 38, but the Denver Nuggets never led by more than two and spent the second half chasing a lead that peaked at 19.

Denver falls to 5-4. Houston moves to 8-3.

How it was won

The first quarter set the terms. Houston scored 32 to Denver's 24. The second quarter was worse for the Nuggets: they managed 16 points, Houston added 22, and the gap was 14 at halftime.

Denver won the third 28-23 and cut the deficit to 77-68. The fourth quarter was close to even, 33-32 to Houston, so the comeback never got closer than the deficit allowed. A team that loses the first half by 14 and wins the second half by four does not win the game.

The box score explains the gap.

• Rebounds: Houston 51, Denver 39. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun had 12 each.
• Threes: Houston made 14 of 38, Denver 8 of 29. That is 18 points of difference from deep.
• Paint: Houston 46, Denver 40.
• Assists: Houston 29, Denver 20.

Both teams shot 45 percent from the field. Houston took eight more shots, 91 to 83, which is what a 12-rebound edge buys. Turnovers were close, 12 for Denver and 11 for Houston. Denver did win at the line, 18 of 25 against 14 of 17, but left seven free throws unmade in a game that needed all of them.

Murray carried the scoring. His 38 points came with 5-of-8 shooting from three. The rest of the roster went 3 of 21 from deep, and Nikola Jokic was 1 of 5. Jokic still finished with 25 points, 16 rebounds and 9 assists, a strong line on a night when the team around him could not space the floor. Cameron Johnson was the third scorer with 8 points on 2-of-5 from three.

Houston spread it around. Durant had 23 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Sengun matched him on the boards and in assists with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Jabari Smith Jr. added 14 points and 7 rebounds, though he went 2 of 8 from three.

Against the number

Houston closed as a 4.5-point favorite and covered with room to spare, winning by 10. On the moneyline, Denver closed at +160 and Houston at -191, and the favorite delivered.

The total closed at 224.5. The teams combined for 210, an under by 14.5 points. Denver's 16-point second quarter and its 8-for-29 night from three did most of the work for under backers. The full closing board is on the game page.

What's next

Denver stays on the road and plays the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, November 11. The Nuggets have alternated wins and losses for much of the opening stretch. They have now split their last four games and are 2-2 on the road. The rebounding margin here is the number to watch in Memphis.

Houston's next game was not included in the schedule information we have. At 8-3, the Rockets have the record to match how they played on Monday: bigger on the glass, more ball movement and enough shooting to keep a 38-point opponent at arm's length.