On the road for the first time this season without Jamal Murray, the Nuggets suffered the second loss of their title defense Sunday, falling 107-104 to the feisty Rockets in Houston.
Denver (8-2) returns home to face the Clippers on Tuesday night in an in-season tournament game.
Depth woes, illuminated
Since Murray’s injury a week ago, Denver’s bench has been strained and out of sync, shaken out of its strong start to the season. Detractors of the defending champions often identify their questionable depth as the Achilles’ heel, and it was easy to see why Sunday night.