Denver was dealt an unexpected blow an hour before opening tip Wednesday when Nikola Jokic was ruled out due to right elbow inflammation.

The Denver Nuggets were dealt a shocking injury absence from Nikola Jokic tonight prior to a 128-108 blowout loss to the Houston Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Houston Rockets were in rebuilding mode a couple of seasons ago, and now it seems as if they're in contending mode. Houston has won four games in a row -- the last two over the Memphis Grizzlies -- and sits second overall in the Western Conference heading into its game at the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.