HOUSTON — Michael Malone practically reached midcourt as he called timeout in disgust. The Nuggets coach hollered at his bench, calling for two-way rookie point guard Monte Morris, along with little-used reserves Juancho Hernangomez and Malik Beasley.
James Harden had just easily gotten to the hole for a layup, giving Houston a 28-point lead with 5:06 left in the third quarter. But the swift lineup overhaul did nothing to stop the Rockets’ second-half onslaught while rolling to a 130-104 rout Friday night at the Toyota Center.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Nuggets (29-26), which entered Friday a half-game ahead of eighth-place New Orleans and one game up on the ninth-place Clippers in a crowded bottom of the Western Conference playoff standings.