**Updated at 11:17 a.m. Wednesday**
Turnovers hurt the Houston Rockets again when they gave up 20 points on 15 turnovers as the Rockets were overwhelmed by Denver Nuggets star Ty Lawson's 21 points in a 105-95 Nuggets victory Wednesday over Houston at the Toyota Center.
James Harden struggled again from the perimeter, shooting only 8-for-17 to finish with 23 points, while Lin made only 3-of-7 shots from the field to finish with nine points.
For the Houston Rockets (22-21) the good new is, they aren't dropping games like flies near a bug zapper anymore, having snapped their seven-game losing streak with a much needed win on Monday over Charlotte.
The bad news? To keep their momentum going, they had to have to play host Wednesday night against a Denver Nuggets team (25-18) that has won seven of their last 10 games.
Houston coach Kevin McHale has been playing a lot of switcheroos with the Rockets' lineups of late, notably sitting Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons and Patrick Patterson late in recent games in order to breathe life into a lethargic and tired Rockets team that has been on the road for nine of their last 12 games this month.
And with the Rockets ranking dead last in points allowed at 103.2 points per game, McHale is focusing on stopping the bleeding on the "D" side of Houston's game.
"That's been a concern," McHale said. "The offense is going to come and go, we've missed a lot of shots during this stretch and we've had a lot of turnovers. But we've got to tighten up defensively."
Meanwhile, the Rockets will have to find a way to contain Denver's explosive Ty Lawson, who has been scoring 17.2 points in the last five games.
Latinos Post breaks down the key matchups for Wednesday's game:
Power forward: Danilo Gallinari, Nuggets vs. Patrick Patterson, Rockets
Patterson has not been the same since returning from a foot injury on Jan. 15, averaging only 4.0 points per game while shooting 30.8 percent from the field in his last five games back.
Gallinari, the former New York Knicks standout, has been solid all season for the Nuggets, and is averaging 18.2 points on 44.4 percent shooting in his last five games, including a 25-point game against Portland last week. If Patterson doesn't find a way to contest the Italian star's shots, Gallinari could torch Houston on the perimeter.
Advantage: Nuggets
Small forward: Kenneth Faried vs. Chandler Parsons, Rockets
Faried provides steady offense, reliable rebounding and stringent defense to the three-spot for Denver, averaging 12.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in his last five games.
Parsons was benched during Saturday's loss to Minnesota, a game where he only scored seven points, but recovered from that disastrous game with 14 points against Charlotte on Monday. Parsons is going to have to be the aggressor tonight on offense against the defensive-minded Faried.
Advantage: Nuggets
Center: Kosta Koufos, Nuggets vs. Omer Asik, Rockets
The seven-foot Koufos, 23, can provide solid contributions on offense and in rebounding, averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in his last ten games. He's also averaging 1.5 blocks this season, so his shot-blocking prowess cannot be denied.
Asik, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the most solid centers in the Western Conference, and has averaged near-double figures in both points (9.8 points per game since Jan. 15 against Cleveland) and rebounding (9.8 rebounds in the last five games. These two should have a good low-post battle tonight.
Advantage: Rockets
Shooting Guard: Andre Igoudala vs. James Harden, Rockets
This should be an interesting matchup as two of the more prolific shooting guards in the West go head-to-head.
Iguodala, while he's having a down year in offense from his normal career stats, hasn't quite found a way to fit into Denver's system since coming over from Philadelphia last season, but can still provide solid numbers in assists and scoring. Harden, who has been having a torrid year, has been struggling in the last five games, his shooting falling off to a woeful 28 percent, hitting only five of 20 shots against Charlotte on Monday. Still, Harden is one of the game's most explosive scorers this season and Iguodala will have to step it up in order to keep Harden from penetrating and make sure his shooting slump continues if Denver wants to pull this one out.
Advantage: Rockets
Point Guard: Ty Lawson, Nuggets vs. Jeremy Lin, Rockets
Lawson has been on a tear in the last five games, averaging 17.2 points and 6.6 assists as he has been evolving into one of the better point guards in the West.
Meanwhile, Lin had a terrible night with only four points on 1-for-5 shooting against Charlotte on Monday, and his assists numbers have tapered off in the last five games. Though he has been averaging double figures in scoring before Monday, Lin was benched on Saturday during the second half in favor of Patrick Beverly.
Advantage: Denver
Bench
For the Rockets, Beverly has been showing signs of flourishing with additional playing time, scoring 10 points in 24 minutes platooning with Jeremy Lin on Monday. Marcus Morris provides solid depth at the power forward slot, and Carlos Delfino gives Houston a pop with his deadly shooting from three point range.
But Denver has some depth of their own in their reserves. Corey Brewer scored 26 points against Oklahoma City in Denver's shocking 121-118 win over the Thunder, the team with the league's best record, on Sunday. JaVale Mcgee gives quality minutes at center and Andre Miller and Wilson Chandler provide capable scoring in the backcourt.
Advantage: Denver
Game Time, TV Schedule
Game time starts at 8 p.m. EST. Live score is available via TV Companion, here.
Live Streaming
Live Streaming for the Game is can be seen via ESPN. (Service Provider Required)
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