Rockets 121, Nuggets 102
Courtney Lee led seven scorers in double figures with 22 points off the bench as the Houston Rockets trounced the Denver Nuggets, 121-102, at the Toyota Center on Monday.
Carmelo Anthony, who scored 50 points in a loss to the Rockets in Denver last week, was held to 16 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
Shane Battier put together a nearly perfect night with 17 points, knocking down 7 of 7 from the floor and 3 of 3 from the 3-point line. One turnover was the veteran forward’s lone blemish against five assists.
Denver looked as though it would run away with the game in the first quarter, opening with a 12-3 burst and taking a 32-19 edge at the end of the frame. But the middle part of the game belonged to the Rockets, as they outscored the Nuggets 69-36 in the second and third quarters.
The lead would grow to as much as 111-80 when Chase Budinger knocked down a 3-pointer with 6:11 left to play.