DENVER — The last time the Houston Rockets squared off with the Denver Nuggets, the two fought until the last second when the pickaxes came away with a last-minute win in Texas. But the Nuggets lost Aaron Gordon to an injury that night.
A few weeks later, on Monday, the two teams went to overtime, and the pickaxes survived on their home floor, snapping a four-game home losing streak. But the Nuggets lost Peyton Watson to injury.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with a monster second half, tallying a 39-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, but on the ninth anniversary of when he became the full-time starter (colloquially known as Jokmas), the big fella didn’t close out overtime because he fouled out. As did backup beast Jonas Valanciunas, leaving Denver small for the final 80 seconds against the Rockets, who recently started the tallest lineup in NBA history.
“In those situations like these special games, you need to do something special to win the game,” Jokic said. “Maybe something that you’re not doing usually. I think Spencer (Jones) did a good job. I think Cam (Johnson) did a good job of screening, and the guys stepped up in the right moment.”
The Nuggets improved to 19-6 with the 128-125 overtime victory, their fifth in a row.
Nikola Jokic says of his teammates tonight “in these special games you have to make special plays to win, maybe stuff you’re not used to doing.” pic.twitter.com/XgTVrRayXO
— Jake Shapiro, but festive 👻🦃🎄 (@Shapalicious) December 16, 2025
Spencer Jones earns it
Spencer Jones logged 41 minutes against the most physical team in basketball. Down three wings, he had to go toe-to-toe with Kevin Durant for much of the night, and then, with both Denver centers watching from the bench after fouling out, the two-way contract wing found himself guarding Alperen Sengun in crunch time.
He also buried two clutch 3-pointers down the stretch. He scored 11 points.
“I definitely feel it — calves and hammies,” Jones said postgame. “That team is one of the most physical teams in the league. They crash everybody. They’re the biggest team in the league. Every time a shot goes up, you’ve got to hit somebody, or else they’re getting the ball.”
Jamal Murray, who finished with 35 points and 15 free throw attempts, offered a big compliment for his young teammate.
“We all know what he can do. He brings a kind of intensity in practice, he shoots the ball really well, always plays aggressively, no matter what the time limit or score is,” Murray said. “Did I know Spencer would be a player? Maybe about a week or two after I met him. You can just tell somebody that has the strength, the tenacity, is smart, aggressive — he’s in the ball, he crashes, he rebounds. He does all the things you wouldn’t expect him to do a little bit better than average.”
Head coach David Adelman has believed in Jones from day one, and Monday night was the latest validation of that faith.
“It’s the same thing he always was — the defense that he brings, the intensity on the rebound,” Adelman said. “It’s just the growth and confidence to shoot the ball when he’s open. For us to succeed as a team, everybody’s got to be a part of it. It can’t be Jok shooting fadeaways all the time, or Jamal going one on four because he has nowhere else to go.”
Situational chaos, and how Denver survived it
Watson went down midway through the first quarter with what Adelman described as a “bone on bone” collision, forcing the Nuggets to scramble their rotation on the fly against a Houston team that can punish you in so many ways. Don’t worry too much about Watson, though, Adelman says it shouldn’t be a long-term issue.
“Not only the game plan, but the rotation itself,” Adelman said of the injury. “You can’t just run those guys into the ground, so you almost have to recreate the rotation you went in with. It changes defensively — I thought it got (Alperen) Sengun going a little bit because we had to put different matchups on different people.”
Sengun had his worst scoring game of the year in the first game against Denver. This time, he finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Similarly, Durant was held down big time a few weeks ago, but he rained in 25 points this time around.
Then came overtime. Jokic opened the extra frame on fire, and Denver ripped off a 7-0 run. But his sixth foul came with 1:23 remaining, and Valanciunas had already departed early in the fourth quarter with six of his own. The Nuggets closed the game with Murray, Cameron Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown and Jones—not a true power forward, let alone center, among them.
The final defensive possession? Houston needed a 3-pointer to tie. Denver switched one through five and forced Sengun into a contested 24-footer that clanked off the rim. Brown corralled the rebound, and the Nuggets exhaled.
“I kind of like one through five — you can be much more aggressive,” Jones said. “Keep them from getting whatever shot they want, make sure they put up some crazy shot they didn’t really call up. That’s what they did. Didn’t really hit the rim, got the rebound, went out, and all of a sudden — done.”
That wasn’t even the plan. Adelman wanted the team to foul up three, but Sengun got lost, and maybe for the better. Moments before, the small lineup couldn’t grab a rebound off a free throw without a big man on the floor.
Jokic on Sengun, and getting the respect you deserve
The battle between Jokic and Sengun has become must-watch basketball, but the three-time MVP wants the comparisons to stop — for Sengun’s sake.
“I think people need to stop comparing us. He’s an amazing player by himself,” Jokic said. “People are just — I don’t know what they’re trying to do. He needs to be recognized for who he is. He’s definitely a talented player. Amazing post moves, both shoulders, both arms. He’s really good in the pocket. He added the mid-range, started showing it more, making it. He showed me something like 30-something percent from three, which is not bad. He’s still young. He needs to be recognized as whoever, not comparing him to whoever.”
The game was historic, the first time in league history two centers tallied a triple-double in the same contest.
NIKOLA JOKIC OVER BABY JOKIC 🃏 pic.twitter.com/CWk8iQQQO8
— NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) December 16, 2025
About that officiating…
Neither team led by double digits all night. The whistles came fast and frequent — 28 fouls on Denver, 25 on Houston — and Rockets coach Ime Udoka did not hold back after the loss.
“Most poorly officiated game I’ve seen in a long time,” Udoka said, likely earning a fine in a game he probably should have been thrown out of in the first half. “Two (referees) have no business being out there, and the crew chief was acting starstruck.”
Ime Udoka on officiating after Rockets loss in Denver.
“Most poorly officiated game I’ve seen in a long time. Two have no business being out there and the crew chief was acting star struck.” @SpaceCityHN @HoustonRockets pic.twitter.com/8NIJFlWSW6
— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) December 16, 2025
Murray took a more measured approach.
“Sometimes, if you don’t dictate it early, it’s a physical game. It’s tough for the refs to call both sides,” he said. “They missed some calls on ours, and they missed some calls on theirs. I don’t really think that was an issue tonight.”
It’s a strategy the Nuggets are trying to employ this year, starting games more physical and staying that way through the season, so the officials may be more tolerant of the contact based on the normalcy of it come playoff time.
Oh, and about Jokmas…
When asked about the ninth anniversary of becoming Denver’s starting center — the holiday his fans have affectionately named Jokmas — Jokic offered a bemused stare and a short quip.
“I can not — oh my God, whose idea was that?” Jokic asked.
Nikola Jokić: NOT a fan of “Jokmas.” 😆
Joker (39 PTS, 15 REB, 10 AST) & DEN won their 5th straight tonight. pic.twitter.com/5T38O75vzz
— NBA (@NBA) December 16, 2025
Adelman played along: “I feel like every day is that. He’s our best player, won a lot of awards and stuff. We’re lucky to have him on this day and tomorrow, and however many days he decides to stay here in Denver.”
What’s next for the Nuggets?
Denver will get the day off tomorrow, then practice on Wednesday when we’ll find out more about Watson. The Nuggets host Orlando on Thursday to continue their four-game homestand. They play the Rockets again on Saturday.
