Houston plays Denver, aims to break road slide

Houston Rockets (15-47, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (36-26, sixth in the Western Conference)

Denver; Friday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Houston will look to end its seven-game road losing streak when the Rockets face Denver.

The Nuggets are 21-18 against Western Conference opponents. Denver ranks seventh in the Western Conference with 12.5 fast break points per game led by Michael Porter Jr. averaging 2.3.

The Rockets are 7-31 in conference play. Houston is 5-35 in games decided by at least 10 points.

The teams meet for the third time this season. The Nuggets won 124-111 in the last meeting on Jan. 2. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 24 points, and Jalen Green led the Rockets with 29 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Will Barton averages 2.2 made 3-pointers per game for the Nuggets, scoring 15.0 points while shooting 35.7% from beyond the arc. Jokic is averaging 25.4 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists over the last 10 games for Denver.

Christian Wood is averaging 17.7 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Rockets. Green is averaging 17.9 points over the last 10 games for Houston.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 8-2, averaging 118.0 points, 49.5 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 7.3 steals and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.4 points per game.

Rockets: 0-10, averaging 109.3 points, 39.6 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 7.5 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.3 points.

INJURIES: Nuggets: Zeke Nnaji: out (knee), Austin Rivers: day to day (illness), Vlatko Cancar: out (foot), Michael Porter Jr.: out (back), Jamal Murray: out (knee).

Rockets: Usman Garuba: out (wrist), Eric Gordon: out (groin), Dennis Schroder: out (ankle).

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