HOUSTON -- Danilo Gallinari scored a game-high 23 points, and Kenneth Faried and Emmanuel Mudiay flirted with double-doubles as the Denver Nuggets stunned the Houston Rockets 105-85 Wednesday night at Toyota Center.

Faried (18 points, nine rebounds) and Mudiay (17 points, nine assists) underscored the Nuggets' balanced offensive attack. The Rockets discovered no such rhythm, shooting a miserable 34.5 percent from the floor, including 8-for-35 (22.9 percent) from behind the 3-point arc, while trailing throughout.

Rockets guard James Harden scored 22 points but missed 15 of 21 shots, including 10 of 12 3-pointers, while former Nuggets guard Ty Lawson shot 3-for-10 for 12 points and added six assists in his Rockets debut.

From the onset, the Rockets missed center Dwight Howard (one-game suspension) defensively, surrendering 10 paint points -- including three dunks -- before coach Kevin McHale called a timeout with the Nuggets up by nine.

Denver stretched its lead to 25-13 on guard Gary Harris' 3-pointer with 3:09 left in the first and closed the period plus-6 on points in the paint while shooting a robust 52.4 (11-for-21) percent from the floor.

When the Rockets forged a comeback, slicing the deficit to 45-41 on a Harden three-point play with 2:17 left in the half, the Nuggets responded with a flurry of perimeter jumpers, including consecutive 3-pointers from reserve guard Randy Foye and Gallinari. Harden drilled a trey just prior to the buzzer to pull the Rockets to within 53-49 at the break, but their inability to grab the lead in the second quarter proved foreboding.

After trailing just 65-61, the Rockets endured one especially frustrating stretch late in the third quarter, missing three consecutive shots while securing three successive offensive rebounds before forward Terrence Jones committed a turnover. On the ensuing trip, Houston missed twice more and then cratered as the Nuggets closed the period on an 11-2 run punctuated by three uncontested dunks and another Gallinari 3-pointer.

The Rockets were guilty of nine third-quarter turnovers, and once Denver re-established its double-digit lead, the final outcome was set.

NOTES: With Nuggets F Wilson Chandler unavailable due to a right hip strain, coach Michael Malone utilized his depth to replace Chandler. As expected, Danilo Gallinari started at small forward but toggled between both forward spots while reserve Will Barton also helped fill the void. ... Rockets C Dwight Howard sat out as part of a one-game suspension for an accumulation of technical fouls last postseason. He will make his season debut Friday against the Golden State Warriors. ... With the Rockets short-handed in their frontcourt this preseason, coach Kevin McHale expressed some concern over the lack of reps for C Clint Capela and rookie F Montrezl Harrell. ... Nuggets C Jusuf Nurkic (left patellar tendon) isn't expected back until November. When he returns, he will boost Denver's depth in the post, joining Joffrey Lauvergne and Nikola Jokic.