Rockets’ ‘Whatever He Wants’ Strategy vs. Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić; Did It Work?

HOUSTON — On the way to a stunning 105-86 win over the powerhouse Denver Nuggets, the Houston Rockets employed what some might call a stunning strategy. Did it work?

Nikola Jokić drilled a 3-point field goal 55 seconds into the Houston Rockets’ third In-Season Tournament game Friday night. Jokić’s 25-foot jumper gave the Denver Nuggets a 5-0 lead and five early points at the 11:05 mark of the first quarter. … at which point it was clear that Jokić was in for a big scoring night.

But his one-man show played into the Rockets’ defensive game plan, which led to a victory inside the Toyota Center. Jokić finished with a game-best 38 points (14 of 31 shooting, with 3 of 8 from 3), along with 19 rebounds and eight assists.

“That was our strategy, guard Jokić one-on-one while keeping everyone else in check,” Udoka said. “Take away their threes — he [Jokić] can have whatever he wants…They scored a low number of 86, which is good for the game.”

Udoka’s defensive game plan of defending Jokić coincided with his strategy ahead of their first meeting on Nov. 12. He said the best way to contain Jokić is to allow him to score while keeping everybody else locked down, given how dangerous the Nuggets can become once the two-time MVP can get his teammates involved.

When excluding Jokić from the Nuggets’ stat line, the Rockets’ held Denver to 48 points on 28.5 percent shooting from the field and 14.2 percent from behind the arc.

Aaron Gordon, who scored 16 points in their first meeting, could not find an offensive rhythm against Houston’s defense. The Rockets held him scoreless while shooting 0-of-12 from the field.

Udoka felt the defensive performance displayed against the Nuggets was the best of the season due to the team’s effort and commitment.

“He [Gordon] was a guy who impacted the game last time,” Udoka said. “When you looked at it at halftime, they had zero points off their bench. The focus was there to take the others out. It worked very well, other than giving up some threes late.”

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic drives the ball past Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center.

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic drives the ball past Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Rockets leaning upon their young players: Udoka has enjoyed the contributions he has received from his veterans. During their last homestand, the veterans came up massive to help the team post a 6-1 record, which included Jeff Green using his experience to lead the Rockets to a come-from-behind victory over the Nuggets.

But despite the success, Udoka said he did not want the Rockets to depend heavily upon their experienced players to win games. Twelve days later, the Rockets came away with one of their most impressive performances of the season due to the play of their younger group.

Jalen Green led Houston in scoring with 25 points. His nine-point fourth quarter was impactful, given that the Nuggets had cut their 26-point deficit down to nine with 7:42 left in the final period.

Alperen Şengün set the tone for the Rockets’ dominance with 21 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Jabari Smith Jr. had his most impressive performance as an all-around player with 16 points, 14 rebounds, one steal and a block.

Fred VanVleet recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 assists. But his most significant contribution came midway through the fourth quarter when VanVleet shared a message about keeping their composure when the Nuggets came within single digits.

“That’s how we want it to be,” Smith said. “All of us playing together and learning how to impact the game without stepping on each other toes. We are feeding off each other and helping each other. That’s the biggest thing.”

Rockets In-Season Tournament update: The Rockets kept their In-Season Tournament hopes alive by defeating the Nuggets. The Rockets improved to 2-1 in West Group B play. A win Tuesday night over the Dallas Mavericks will advance Houston to the knockout round. The New Orleans Pelicans are leading West Group B with a 3-1 record.