The Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets gave the Western Conference a tight, playoff-style test in late November, and Nikola Jokić once again had the final word. Behind Jokić’s 39 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists—his 12th triple-double of the season—the Nuggets outlasted the Rockets 128-125 in overtime in Denver. It was Denver’s fifth straight win and their first home victory since Nov. 8, earned against a fellow top-three West team. The box score was big. The moments were bigger.

“It was a tough one, but we found a way.” That simple line fits the night. Every possession felt heavy, every whistle mattered, and every star touch felt like a decision point. In a game that swung with four ties and four lead changes in the final 1:40 of regulation, the Nuggets’ composure and shot-making under pressure told the story.

Nikola Jokić’s triple-double vs Rockets: control, not chaos

Jokić’s numbers jump off the page, but his impact is in the details. He set the pace, found cutters, and kept Houston’s bigs in reaction mode. When Denver needed a touch, he gave them a good one—and when they needed a shot, he found his own.

Not every bet landed. After Jamal Murray tied the game at the line with 2.3 seconds left in regulation, Denver kept the ball. Jokić rose for a top-of-the-key 3 at the horn and missed long. It was a reminder: even for the league’s most efficient closer, the margins can be razor thin. In overtime, though, Jokić stabilized the offense and forced Houston to chase. That’s where games tilt.

“Jokić didn’t just fill the box score—he piloted the whole thing.”

Jamal Murray’s calm in the storm: free throws and fourth-quarter poise

Denver needed a closer’s heartbeat late, and Murray delivered. He finished with 35 points and made 14 of 15 free throws. The biggest came after an away-from-play foul on Amen Thompson with 2.3 seconds left in regulation. Murray hit the free throw to tie it, and Denver kept possession thanks to the rule. The drawn-up look found Jokić, but the shot just missed.

Even without a buzzer-beater, Murray’s late-game poise was a separator. He slowed the game down, lived at the line, and made sure Denver played from a place of control, not panic. This is what star guards do in tight games: they give their teams clean math in crunch time.

“Murray’s free throws felt like timeouts—the calm that changed everything.”

Overtime swings: Spencer Jones’ clutch 3 and Şengün’s late miss

Overtime belonged to role players as much as stars. With 2:59 left in OT, Spencer Jones buried a 3 from the wing to put Denver up 124-117. It was a huge, rhythm-snapping shot that gave the Nuggets breathing room. Houston answered and kept pushing, but that make forced the Rockets to chase possessions instead of setting the terms.

Even then, the last word almost flipped yet again. With 4.9 seconds to play in overtime, Alperen Şengün pulled up from 24 feet with a chance to tie. The Nuggets contested well, and the shot missed. It was the kind of look coaches can live with—tough, deep, and under duress—and the kind of miss that sends a crowd into a long exhale.

“If Jones hits that in April, the West is going to feel it.”

Clutch-time chess: four ties, four lead changes, one message

The final 1:40 of regulation was pure chess. Both teams traded blows, adjusted on the fly, and trusted their stars to create edges. The sequence showed why these two sit near the top of the West: sharp execution, no wasted trips, and defiant shot-making.

For Denver, the takeaway is resilience. The Nuggets turned a shaky end-of-regulation into a composed overtime, then leaned on their best habits: defend without fouling, secure the glass, and find the right shooters in rhythm. For Houston, it was proof of concept. They went toe-to-toe with the defending champions’ standard of poise and made Denver earn every inch.

Why the win matters for Denver’s West race

This wasn’t just another early-season W. It was a win over a fellow top-three team in the conference, a statement in a tight playoff picture even this early. It also snapped an odd note in Denver’s arc: their first home victory since Nov. 8. Stack that with a five-game win streak, and the Nuggets’ rhythm looks real.

Jokić’s 12th triple-double underscores it. He is the sun around which Denver’s offense orbits, and nights like this show why the Nuggets trust their late-game process. Add Murray’s late control and timely shooting from role players like Jones, and Denver has multiple ways to close.

What’s next: Rockets–Pelicans, Nuggets–Magic

The Rockets turn quickly to a test against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. It’s a chance to regroup, sharpen late-game execution, and carry this level of fight onto the road. Houston’s final shot in Denver did not fall, but their posture was that of a contender.

Denver stays home to host the Orlando Magic on Thursday. After finally clearing the home hurdle they’d been bumping into since early November, the Nuggets will try to keep the streak alive and build on the formula that worked: pressure the paint through Jokić, keep Murray downhill, and trust the spacing.

Final thought

In a night with wild swings, the Nuggets’ stars made the margins theirs. Jokić logged another triple-double, Murray owned the line, and a timely 3 from Spencer Jones turned overtime in Denver’s favor. That’s the recipe: star force, smart details, and one big shot when the game begs for it. Against a rising Rockets group that would not go away, the Nuggets found just enough answers—and in the West, that’s the difference between a good team and a great one.