More: Nuggets Become Victims of the Lockout
George Karl won't ever make excuses for the Denver Nuggets, but his team had a few convenient ones after a 99-90 loss to the Houston Rockets at the Pepsi Center. Denver started little used youngsters Kenneth Faried and Julyan Stone in place of the injured Arron Afflalo and Nene, and the two combined to score just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting from the floor. Perhaps the bigger reason Denver fell was its inability to hit three-point shots. The Nuggets finished the game just 3-for-22 from downtown, while Houston knocked down 10 of its 19 three-pointer attempts.
The Rockets were led by the two-headed monster of power foward Luis Scola and point guard Kyle Lowry. Scola finished with 25 points and eight rebounds, while Lowry had 20 points and six assists.
Six Denver players reached double-figures in scoring. Danilo Gallinari had 14 points and two rebounds for Denver, while teammate Ty Lawson added 13 points and seven assists. Rudy Fernandez added 14 points for the Denver in the loss.
The Nuggets fall to 15-10 with the defeat, while Houston improves to 14-11.
For more on the Denver Nuggets, including in-depth analysis and commentary, be sure to visit the SB Nation Nuggets blog Denver Stiffs. Check out Rockets blog The Dream Shake, as well, for more on this game. Head over to the SB Nation NBA news hub for more breaking news and notes.