The Denver Nuggets had tons to play for and the Houston Rockets had nothing to gain or lose from today’s game. Despite Houston still playing their regular rotation, the Nuggets looked like the far more desperate team and put on a clinic. All five starters scored in double digits with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. all taking turns leading their offense. The defense was solid too, at least until garbage time came along. It was a complete effort for the Nuggets and they secure a no doubter victory.

Both teams were cold on offense to start the game and made just one shot in the first two minutes. They continued to miss shots but some second chance points on both sides kept the game close. Halfway through the quarter it was a tie game at thirteen all. Jokic led Denver’s offense with some help from Murray and Gordon. They got out and ran and started to build a lead. The Nuggets got up by seven but then went cold on offense. After a timeout they regrouped and went on another run with the quarter winding down. Jokic started knocking down threes to put them up nine with a minute left in the first. A strong close put Denver up 36-23 at the end of one quarter.

The Nuggets offense to start the second quarter consisted of Russell Westbrook three point attempts that were not going down. Houston got within eight before Denver’s bench group started to calm down and work for better shots, Westbrook in particular. They got the lead back up to double digits while Nikola was out. He checked in with Denver still up ten. The Nuggets kept cooking and kept their lead above a dozen as the quarter progressed. After the halfway point the Rockets responded, they got the lead down to eight behind Amen Thompson getting to the rim and forced a Denver timeout. Michael Porter Jr. finally started to get some threes to fall which helped push the lead back up. Going into the half they led 65-52.

Murray started the second half hot for Denver. He pushed their lead all the way up to eighteen in about two minutes. Houston got it together after that and kept Denver from growing the lead more. The Nuggets were struggling to get baskets but still played solid defense. Gordon was playing well, Porter was hitting shots and it was coming up all Nuggets. By the five minute mark they were up twenty and the Rockets started emptying their bench. With nothing to gain or lose from the game, it looked like Houston was ready for garbage time early. Denver pushed it up to thirty with a minute left in the quarter. Peyton Watson knocked down a buzzer beater three and at the end of the third the score was 102-71.

Murray terrorized Houston to open the fourth to leave no doubt about who was going to win the game. Denver’s offense went a bit stagnant after that with Murray going to the bench and the Nuggets using an all bench unit. Jock Landale made a couple shots to put the lead back under thirty. Eventually the Rockets whittled it down to twenty-five and David Adelman called a timeout. Despite the run by Houston, he emptied out the rest of the bench to officially get his rotation guys resting for the playoffs. The Nuggets offense stayed cold but the lead was just too great. With two minutes left they were still up twenty. Eventually the clock ran out and Denver secured the four seed in the playoffs with a 126-111 victory.