The Nuggets must avoid Houston in the playoffs at all costs

DENVER — The Nuggets are 4-4 this season against the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs — the second and third-best teams in the Western Conference. However, against the Houston Rockets — the top dog in the wild west, who are proving to be the Nuggets’ kryptonite this season — Denver is 0-3.

The Nuggets latest loss was a 119-114 defeat Sunday night where MVP frontrunner James Harden poured in 41 points on 20 shots without breaking a sweat.

Until the Nuggets staged a spirited fourth-quarter comeback, the matchup was heading towards another blowout defeat for Denver. But the close loss still exposed some of Denver’s biggest weaknesses — faults that would become even more magnified if the two sides meet in a playoff series come April.

Denver’s switching defense led to Harden often isolated out beyond the three-point line against Nikola Jokic and Devin Harris — a nightmare scenario for the Nuggets. Harden can out-maneuver Jokic and forced Harris into committing four personal fouls in just 12 minutes.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone even tinkered with his defensive matchups starting Jokic on PJ Tucker and Wilson Chandler on Clint Capela after the big man put up 23 points and 25 rebounds in the two teams’ last meeting. Capela finished with six points and seven rebounds.

Nothing Denver threw Harden’s way worked. Attack Harden with a double-team or too much help his direction, and Harden will find Chris Paul, Ryan Anderson or another Rockets’ shooter who will bury you from beyond the arc. Denver played good enough defense at times Sunday but Houston still shot 15-35 (43 percent) from three.

Sag off Harden and he’ll launch moonballs from deep. Press up on him and the savvy 6-foot-5 guard will get his defender off balance with a series of dribble moves that lead to either a step-back or blowby.

“If you get aggressive with me, I’m going to go by you,” Harden said. “If you’re are not, then I’m going to figure something else out.”

It’s not just Denver. No team in the league has discovered a formula that can stop Houston’s attack this season. The Rockets are on pace to be the best offense in league history. Houston is 31-3 when Harden and Paul are in the lineup. They’re 30-1 when Harden, Paul and Capela all play.

The Nuggets can’t find their shooting stroke against Houston either. In its first matchup against the Rockets, Denver shot just 10-33 (30 percent) from distance. In the Nuggets’ 130-104 defeat in Houston on Feb. 9, Denver hit just three of its 28 three-point attempts. Sunday, the Nuggets started 1-9 from three but closed to strong to shoot 10-29 from beyond the arc.

Over the Nuggets’ recent 13-game run where they went 10-3, Denver shot roughly 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.

“The one thing we have to do,” Malone said pregame, “Is make shots.”

Denver shot 42.6 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from three in the first half and outscored Houston 62-53 from the field over the third and fourth quarters thanks to hitting better than 50 percent of its field goals.

In the end, it Denver dug itself too big of a while to take down Houston, who extended its winning streak to 12 games and have won 19 of 21.

The Nuggets play confidently against the Warriors, Spurs and every other team currently projected to make the playoffs in the West. At times Sunday, they seemed tentative and unsure of themselves.

That’s what the Rockets do, though. Houston is a historic offense and top-10 defense that teams need to play a near-perfect game against to come out on top.

Come April, if the Nuggets are in the playoffs, Denver must avoid them at all costs. Or else, Harden, Paul, and Co. will make quick work of their first-round opponent.