(Sports Network) - After a brief trip home on Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets are
back on the road tonight when they take on James Harden and the Houston
Rockets.
The Nuggets were the NBA's last team to play at home, but dispatched the
Detroit Pistons, 109-97, last night. A well-balanced attack, led by 17 points
from offseason acquisition Andre Iguodala, earned the Nuggets their first
victory of the season.
"We got the monkey off our back," said point guard Ty Lawson. "Right now we're
growing together, taking the bruises and the victories together. We're going
to learn throughout the year and mature fast."
Tuesday's victory saw the Nuggets do a lot of things well. They made 10 3-
pointers and continued a trend that saw them reach 9-0 over the last two
seasons when they made that many 3s.
The Nuggets also outrebounded Detroit 52-35. They also outrebounded the Miami
Heat in the game before Tuesday's and have actually won the battle on the
boards in three of their first four games.
Denver has four players averaging more than six rebounds a game, but it's that
consistent, varied offensive attack that has been the Nuggets' calling card in
recent seasons. Six different Nuggets average double-figures in scoring, with
Iguodala, Lawson and Danilo Gallinari all over 14 ppg.
It's been a tough start for the Nuggets, who many expected good things from in
the 2012-13 campaign. They start the season with 17 of 23 on the road and head
to Houston, where they have gone 7-14 since the 2001-02 season.
The Rockets dropped their home opener Saturday in overtime against the
Portland Trail Blazers, 95-85. They won their first two on the road and
Harden, acquired just before the start of the season, immediately paid
dividends.
Harden, who was named the Western Conference Player of the Week last week,
leads the NBA in scoring at 35.3 ppg. That is almost nine points better than
Kobe Bryant, who is in second.
"I don't really put too much stress on myself," said Harden. "Making plays and
trying to score the basketball, it comes naturally. I think that's just how I
play."
Harden is averaging 6.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists as well.
If you thought Denver was a good rebounding team, Houston is scary. The
Rockets have grabbed 58 and 56 rebounds in their last two outings and if they
post 50 or more tonight, it will mark the first time since the 2002-03 season
they did it three games in a row.
Denver has taken three in a row from the Rockets, but the two teams have split
the last 20 meetings.
The Sports Network