David Adelman: Nuggets failed mentally against Rockets

David Adelman stated that poor mental execution and defensive rebounding caused the Denver Nuggets to lose 110-100 to the Houston Rockets on Monday. The loss dropped Denver to a 5-4 record as Houston commanded a 51-39 rebounding advantage and collected 15 offensive boards. Although Denver erased a 16-point deficit with an 18-2 run in the third quarter, Houston responded with an 11-2 run to seal the victory.

Adelman urged supporting players such as Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun to stay aggressive offensively rather than hesitating against Houston's switching defense. To address rebounding issues, Adelman deployed an unfamiliar fourth-quarter frontcourt pairing of Nikola Jokic and Marvin Bagley III. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 38 points in the defeat.