DENVER -- The Denver Nuggets showed they can beat the Houston Rockets with or without their All-Star center.

Guard Will Barton scored a career high 26 points, forward Danilo Gallinari had 27 and the Nuggets beat the Rockets 107-98 on Friday night.

Forward Kenneth Faried had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who have won three straight at home after dropping their first two in Denver.

"It was big to get three in a row," said Gallinari, who set a season high in points Friday night. "We were looking at this week saying we needed to get these three at home and we did."

The Nuggets' bench scored 51 points to help overcome the presence of center Dwight Howard. Howard was suspended for the first game of the season between the teams, a 105-85 Nuggets win in Houston on Oct. 28.

"That team just went to the Western Conference finals and they're hungry trying to get championship," Barton said. "To have beaten them two times, knowing their coming in here getting Dwight back, it was big for us."

The win spoiled the return of guard Ty Lawson. Lawson spent the first six years of his career with the Nuggets before being traded to Houston in the summer.

Lawson got a cool reception from the crowd at Pepsi Center. He was loudly booed the first few times he touched the ball and then sporadically the rest of the game.

He didn't look like the player who led Denver to the playoffs four straight years Friday night. He was scoreless and went 0-for-7 from the field but had seven assists.

"I just couldn't get a rhythm today," he said. "The second half I got the shot I wanted it just didn't come off right. Still trying to get a feel for it."

Guard James Harden led Houston with 28 points, forward Terrence Jones had 23 points and Howard had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

"We definitely have to do more work on the defensive end, in defensive transition," Jones said. "The outcome of our games should be a lot different."

The Nuggets (5-4) led most of the game but their biggest lead was 10 until late in the fourth. Houston (4-5) cut the deficit to one on several occasions but Denver consistently responded.

After Harden's three-point play made it 87-86, Barton hit two straight 3-pointers and guard Jameer Nelson hit a step-back jumper to push the Nuggets' advantage to 95-89 with 6:22 left.

Barton, who was 4-for-5 from 3-point range, hit two free throws and Nelson another jumper and a pair of free throws make it 101-89 with 3:09 left.

Barton also brought the crowd to its feet when he went high for a pass from guard Randy Foye and slammed it home late in the third quarter.

"Barton off the bench was incredible," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

Gallinari's 3-pointer with 2:12 left gave Denver a 104-91 lead. They held off the Rockets to clinch the season series.

"We didn't play very well," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "We had effort issues. We had some times when they outran us. At times they outhustled us on the boards. There were times that we missed easy shots and hung our heads. We just aren't playing very well right now."

Gallinari had 18 points in the first half as Denver led 59-51 at the break. Houston shot just 36 percent from the field in the first two quarters but stayed closed by going 20-for-25 from the line.

NOTES: There was a moment of silence before the National Anthem for the victims of the Paris terror attacks that left more than 100 dead. ... Houston F Donatas Motiejunas continues to sit with a lower back injury. ... Denver F Wilson Chandler will travel to New York where he will have season-ending surgery on his right hip. ... Houston began the season 4-4 a year after coming strong out of the gate. The Rockets were 16-4 in their first 20 games of 2014-15. ... Denver C Joffrey Lauvergne (lower back strain) was out of the lineup for the sixth straight game. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Lauvergne is close but wasn't ready to play Friday.