Nuggets shoot 3-28 from three, fall to Rockets 130-104

HOUSTON — A few minutes before tip-off, Houston Rockets’ legend Calvin Murphy presented James Harden with a plaque commemorating his recent 60-point game. Harden’s 60 points broke Murphy’s previous franchise record of 57 which had stood for nearly 40 years.

That presentation set the tone for a Rockets’ offensive explosion where Houston put 63 first-half points on Denver. A 15-8 Rockets’ run to put Houston up 24 points at the 8:11 mark of the third quarter was too much for Denver to overcome.

The Nuggets’ last gasp came midway through the third when Nuggets coach Michael Malone went to an ultra-small ball lineup that featured Wilson Chandler and Torrey Craig at power forward and center. Like most adjustments the Nuggets tried to make Friday night, it didn’t work.

Houston cruised to a 130-104 win as Denver emptied most of its bench with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Seldom-used bench players Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, and two-way player Monte Morris, who scored his first NBA basket at the 3:09 mark of the quarter, finished out the half.

Harden, who’s the odds-on favorite for the league’s Most Valuable Player award this season had his way with the Nuggets. With M.V.P. chants breaking out occasionally throughout the night, Harden finished with 28 points in just 27 minutes. Elsewhere, Rockets’ center Clint Capela scored 23 points and registered 25 rebounds in just 29 minutes. As a team, Houston shot 19-41 (46.3 percent) from distance.

The Nuggets couldn’t stop the Rockets, but Denver couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn either. The Nuggets shot just 3-18 from three-point range in the first half and finished 3-28 from beyond the arc. Denver did not hit a three-point field goal in the second half.

Gary Harris shot just 3-11 from the field and 0-7 from three. Jamal Murray was limited to six points on 3-8 shooting. Will Barton also scored just six points but on 2-8 shooting.

Trey Lyles scored a team-high 24 points for Denver. Morris finished with 10 points and six assists in 22 minutes.

The Nuggets are in Phoenix for a back-to-back against the Suns on Saturday.