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Nene recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets

Rick Adelman’s club had the benefit of two days of rest.  George Karl’s squad played last night in New Orleans and lost 101-95 to the Hornets.  The Rockets were at the Toyota Center for their home opener before a crowd of 18,161.  The aforementioned three things did not matter when the 0-2 Rockets faced the 2-1 Nuggets on the night before Halloween.  If anything, these three things heading into the game proved more to be tricks and did not help the Rockets or faze the Nuggets, as the road team on the second night of a back-to-back defeated the well-rested home team in their home opener 107-94.  Al Harrington lead the winning team with 28 points, including five treys, and Carmelo Anthony added 24 points in the Nuggets second win in three tries on the season.  Luis Scola led the red team with 28 points and 10 rebounds in his third double-double in as many games, while Kevin Martin registered 21 points, 4 boards, and 4 helpers.  The more well-rounded Denver team had twice the amount of double-digit scorers than Houston, with six.

The Rockets shot nine less times than the Nuggets, made seven fewer three pointers, and were outdone at the charity stripe by 12.  They were held 25 points under their season average and could not capitalize off of a 1-8 shooting performance by Chauncey Billups.  It made no difference, as the Houston point guards could do no better, with Brooks and Lowry, playing in his first game of the season, combining to shoot 3-16 from the floor, 1-6 from downtown, and putting together just eight dimes compared to six turnovers.  The only edge the Rockets truly had was in the paint, where they outdid the Nuggets 54-38.  The Nuggets outscored the Rockets by 16 in the 2nd half and despite shooting less than 38 percent from the hardwood, they dominated in the three point and free throw categories with a plus 33 advantage.  While the Rockets were off the past two days, you would think they would come out clicking on all cylinders from a place where they usually shine the most.  Think again, as it was the Nuggets, who played the night before, performing as the ones clicking on all cylinders from the land of plenty.

Up 51-48 at halftime, the Houston Rockets never seemed to be in control due to their inability to hit the long range shot and convert lay-ups.  In the third quarter they relinquished the lead and allowed the Nuggets to finish the quarter on an 11-2 run to take the lead 72-69.  In that span, the Rockets missed their final eight shots while Al Harrington generated seven points.  Yet, despite their shaky third quarter play, they still had a chance to win in the 4th quarter, as they cut an eight-point deficit to one after Luis Scola’s 28th point at 90-89 with 5:24 to go in the contest.  However, it was Scola’s final bucket and the closest the Rockets would come to the Nuggets, as Chauncey Billups made his first shot, a three pointer a minute after cutting the lead to 1; tallying a total of five points during a 9-0 run to quiet the home crowd.  Aaron Brooks kept hope alive with just the team’s third executed trey in 19 hoists to bring the team within 100-94 with 1:29 left.  With it a two-possession game, Al Harrington delivered the dagger, connecting on a shot from beyond the arc to beat the shot clock putting the Nuggets up 9 and ahead for good.  The new Nugget, who was acquired via free agency in the off-season after playing with the New York Knicks last season, chalked up 10 points in the final quarter and outperformed the Rockets second unit by himself 28-20.  In Yao Ming’s first home game since the ’09 Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Rockets could never find a rhythm, and the Nuggets took advantage of their lack rhythm with a rhythmic second half performance of their own.  The Nuggets are now 2-1, while the Rockets remain the only winless team in the Southwest Division at 0-3, their first 0-3 start since the ’99-00 campaign.