The Denver Nuggets (10) defeated the Houston Rockets (0 - 1) 105 - 85 on Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Houston. Despite opening the season on their home court, the Rockets struggled to find the bottom of the net in this one. As a team, the Rockets shot just 34 percent from the field and limped to a brutal 23 percent clip from deep. The Nuggets, on the other hand, stayed hot all game long, shooting 50 percent from the field and 48 percent from beyond the arc. In a relatively ugly game with 37 combined turnovers between the teams, the Nuggets were able to cash in the most and finished with a surprising 20 - point victory. Emmanuel Mudiay, the Nuggets' seventh overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, made his much anticipated regular season debut. Mudiay had a strong day shooting the ball, finishing with 17 points (6 - 13 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt, 2 - 4 FT) over 37 minutes. He nearly completed the unconventional triple - double, as he also posted nine assists and 11 turnovers. While the ridiculous amount of turnovers is concerning, the Nuggets will need to give their rookie some time to settle in and get accustomed to NBA basketball. Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets in scoring, recording a team - high of 23 points (7 - 15 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT), to go along with eight rebounds and three blocked shots. He averaged just 12 points and 4 rebounds last season, so it was a very nice start for the sixth - year guard. Kenneth Faried was the third Nuggets' starter in double figures with 18 points (8 - 10 FG, 2 - 6 FT) and nine rebounds. With Dwight Howard sitting out on suspension after accumulating a flagrant foul during the 2014 - 15 postseason, it was James Harden and Terrence Jones who did everything they could to make up for his absence. Harden struggled from deep, hitting just two of his twelve attempts from the three - point line, but still finished with a team - high of 22 points. Harden came just short of being named the league MVP last season, so this was not the start he had in mind. Jones recorded 15 points (6 - 13 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 3 - 5 FT) of his own, while pulling down six rebounds. The only other Rocket to reach double figures was Ty Lawson, who scored 12 points (3 - 10 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt, 4 - 6 FT) in his Rockets debut. Lawson averaged 15 points and 10 assists with the Nuggets last season, so do n't be surprised to see his numbers rise over the next few games. The Nuggets will be at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, while the Rockets will remain in Houston in a matchup with the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
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