The Associated Press
Cousins leads in Jokic’s absence, Nuggets beat Rockets
DENVER (AP) DeMarcus Cousins, starting in place of ailing Nikola Jokic, scored a season-high 31 points and the Denver Nuggets bounced back from a loss to beat the struggling Houston Rockets 116-101 on Friday night. Jokic, the reigning MVP, was held out because of a non-COVID-19 illness. Cousins, a midseason acquisition by the Nuggets following his release by Milwaukee, found out he was starting for Jokic during the pre-game shootaround.