HOUSTON— Coach Ime Udoka acknowledged the difficulty of creating a defensive strategy for Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić. Any squad should “pick your pоisоn” and hope for the best, according to Udoka.

After allowing Jokić to score, the Rockets secured their sixth consecutive win with a 107-104 win over the Nuggets on Sunday night. 

Jokić scored a game-high 36 points on 13-of-26 shooting. He had 21 rebounds and 11 assists as the Rockets went 6-3.

Jokić quickly found his flow in the Toyota Center, scoring 16 points in the first quarter. The Nuggets led 30-23 entering the second quarter after he played all 12 minutes. 

The Rockets struggled initially but capitalized on Jokić’s benching. Houston started the second quarter 8-0. The Rockets had a 31-30 advantage at 7:50 when Jokić returned to the game.

Jokić regained his dominance, leading the Nuggets to a 50-46 halftime lead. Houston gained momentum with a four-minute burst to start the second quarter. 

Rockets won the third quarter 28-26. The fourth period began 76-74. But Fred VanVleet started the quarter with six straight points, giving Houston an 89-82 advantage with 6:26 left.

The Rockets led 98-92 with three minutes left, but a 10-5 rally by the Nuggets caused Houston to lead 103-102 after Jokić’s triple. 

VanVleet made two free throws to give the Rockets a 105-102 lead with 19 seconds left. The game was won by Jae’Sean Tate’s steаl on Michael Porter Jr.

VanVleet scored 26 points in the win for his second straight 20-point game. Alperen Sengun had 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists.

Rockets’ seven-game homestand ends:

After defeating the Nuggets, the Rockets finished their seven-game homestand 6-1. Their only loss was to the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 29.

Up Next:

After four days off, the Rockets will begin a three-game west coast road trip Friday night against the Clippers. Their next opponent is the Lakers on Sunday. The Rockets will play the Warriors on Monday to conclude their three-game road trip.  

The Rockets and Clippers play at 9:30 p.m. CDT in Crypto.com Arena.