Nuggets at Rockets
James Harden is in such a deep shooting slump that he spent approximately 25 minutes working on his shot after a loss. Harden will attempt to rediscover his form on Wednesday when the Rockets host the Denver Nuggets and try to snap a four-game losing streak.
Harden scored 29 points in Monday's 112-107 loss to the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder but he was 1-of-17 from 3-point range to fall to 9-of-51 over the past four contests. "Just trying to get back to the basics," Harden told reporters. "I think when you're struggling you just try to get back to the fundamentals and the basics of your shot and form, form shooting and things like that. Staying with your shot. And just all repetition." Denver prevailed in six of its last eight games after notching a 107-100 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday in the opener of a three-game road trip. The Nuggets, who dropped their last seven games in Houston, scored 100 or more points in each of their past 21 games and are 16-5 during the stretch.
TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: Altitude, AT&T SportsNet Southwest
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (30-13): Swingman Will Barton (18 points) and center Nikola Jokic (17 points, 13 rebounds) were the only regulars in the starting lineup on Monday as power forward Paul Millsap (knee), shooting guard Gary Harris (groin) and point guard Jamal Murray (ankle) all remain sidelined. That opened up more playing time for promising forward Michael Porter Jr. and he recorded 20 points and established career highs of 14 rebounds and four 3-pointers for his second career double-double. "He's an amazing talent," Jokic told reporters. "You see how his ball is going into the hoop. It's a swoosh every time."
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (26-16): Harden scored fewer than 20 points in two of the past six games and shot below 50 percent in the last seven contests after making 50 percent or better in the previous seven games. Point guard Russell Westbrook is on a roll with five straight 30-point efforts and has two triple-doubles in the past three games after collecting 32 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds on Monday. Westbrook, who has 146 career triple-doubles, connected on 16-of-24 shots against his former club and is 31-of-47 over the last two games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Rockets trounced the visiting Nuggets 130-104 on Dec. 31 and won 11 of the past 13 meetings.
2. Jokic has registered three straight double-doubles and five in the past six games.
3. Houston G Austin Rivers (thumb) hopes to return Wednesday after missing two straight games.