Nikola Jokic had 34 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Jamal Murray added 26 points and 10 assists as the Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Houston Rockets 112-109. Jokic, who scored 24 points in the second half, finished 11 of 20 from the field. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 12 points off the bench for the Nuggets, who shot 53%. Denver improved to 2-1 in NBA Cup play while the Rockets dropped to 1-2. Reed Sheppard scored a career-high 27 points to lead the Rockets, who had their five-game winning streak snapped. Amen Thompson added 22 points and seven rebounds, Jabari Smith Jr. had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Alperen Sengun had 14 points and Kevin Durant finished with 13 points for Houston, which shot 44%.