Houston Rockets: Player grades against the Nuggets

A+. Trevor Ariza had one heck of a night. With Gordon and Anderson out, the Rockets needed Ariza to come through with a big scoring performance, and he delivered. The 32-year-old scored 25 points in 34 minutes, including 9-12 shooting and a blistering 7-10 from the 3-point line. Ariza spaced the floor on offense and played great defense, coming up with 2 steals and a blocked shot. Trevor Ariza had arguably his best night of the season and he was the player of the game against Denver.. Small Forward. Houston Rockets. TREVOR ARIZA

A. Besides Eric Gordon, Luc Mbah a Moute is the most valuable player on the Rockets bench. The Cameroon native can play either forward spot, guard any player on the floor, and he has developed a respectable outside shot. Luc finished with 13 points on 5-5 shooting and 3-3 from the 3-point line, while grabbing 4 rebounds and 4 steals. The most amazing stat line for Mbah a Moute was an eye-popping plus/minus of +57, which was 18 points higher than the next best player for the Rockets. Luc doesn’t put up huge numbers, but he makes winning plays. He is the type of player that every coach wants on his team.. Small Forward. Houston Rockets. LUC MBAH A MOUTE