The Houston Rockets needed a win. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun delivered one.

Durant scored 23 points and Sengun added 20 as the Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 110-100 on Monday night in Houston. The win snapped a two-game losing streak after a 7-1 start and moved Houston to 8-3.

Denver nearly stole it anyway. Jamal Murray poured in 38 points for his fourth game this season with at least 34. Nikola Jokic added 25 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists.

Denver's big run

Houston led by 16 early in the third quarter before the Nuggets ripped off an 18-2 run to tie it 60-60. Jokic, Murray and Cameron Johnson all hit 3-pointers during the burst. The Rockets missed nine straight shots with two turnovers and scored only on a pair of Durant free throws.

Tari Eason finally ended a field goal drought of more than six minutes. That started an 11-2 Houston run that made it 71-62.

Closing it out

Murray kept coming. Four quick points from him cut the lead to four with under seven minutes left. Sengun answered with a short basket and Fred VanVleet hit a 3-pointer to push it to 96-87.

Murray made two free throws to get Denver within six with about five minutes to go. Christian Braun then missed two at the line. Sengun and Amen Thompson scored on the next trips down to make it 100-90 with four minutes left.

Denver's two-game winning streak ended. The Nuggets visit Memphis on Wednesday while the Rockets host Stephen Curry and the red-hot Warriors the same night.