Houston Rockets LISTEN: Win vs. Denver Nuggets Shows Major Progress

In the latest episode of the "Kiss of Death Podcast," Michael Brown, his dad and I break down the Houston Rockets' win and look further into the direction of where the team is going.
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The Houston Rockets are starting a win streak after beating the Denver Nuggets 105-86 on Friday night inside the Toyota Center.

The win gives the Rockets an 8-6 record on the year and their second victory in as many tries against the defending champions.

In the victory, the Rockets were very balanced as an offensive unit. Seven players out of the nine who played scored seven points or more. Out of those players, four finished in double digits and three recorded double-doubles.

In the latest episode of the "Kiss of Death Podcast," Michael Brown, his dad and I break down the team's win and look further into the direction of where the team is going.

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Toyota Center.
Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Toyota Center / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

As the Rockets get acclimated with one another, they are beginning to figure out where each person fits in the machine. For the younger players, Alperen Sengun finds himself as a distributor and creator in the post, Jalen Green is meant to be the volume scorer, Jabari Smith Jr. crashes the glass, and Tari Eason gives hustle and defensive energy off the bench.

For the veterans, Dillon Brooks is tasked with defending the team's best player more often than not, Fred VanVleet sets the table and makes everybody look good, and Aaron Holiday provides that same stability in the second unit.

The team is only going to get more comfortable playing together as the season rolls along, and that should be scary for other teams in the Western Conference as they try and jockey for positioning.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.