If the Rockets really had to give up on the chase for second in the West, as Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni implied with his nod toward realistic expectations, they did not seem to get the message.
Either that or they just responded to the challenge of a game against a second consecutive contender and rendered Tuesday's loss in Milwaukee a relative anomaly, blasting the Nuggets, 112-85, their 10th win in 11 games against Denver.
The win moved the Rockets to within three games of the second-place Nuggets with the Rockets holding the head-to-head tie breaker with wins in three of four meetings.