The Houston Rockets defeated the Denver Nuggets, 105-86, at Toyota Center on Friday night in an In-Season Tournament Group Play game.

The Rockets (8-6) set a dominant tone right out of the gate, establishing a 29-19 lead through one that had morphed into a 60-43 advantage by halftime. The short-handed Nuggets (10-6) were only able to put a two-point dent in their deficit in the third, and Houston then closed out the victory by limiting Denver to only 17 points in the final 12 minutes. The hosts shot an impressive 48.8 percent while limiting the defending champs to a lowly 33.7 percent figure.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with a 38-point, 19-rebound double-double that included eight assists and two steals. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope totaled 20 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Michael Porter Jr. registered 14 points, seven boards, one assist, two blocks and one steal.

Jalen Green paced the Rockets with 25 points, complementing them with five rebounds, two assists and three steals. Alperen Sengun followed with 21 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block. Fred VanVleet generated a 17-point, 11-assist double-double that included six rebounds, two blocks and one steal. Jabari Smith delivered 16 points, 14 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

The Nuggets head back home to host the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night, while the Rockets visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.