For a few happy weeks, the Rockets' formula seemed firmly entrenched. Defend. Rebound. Keep it close. And find a way to win it late.

Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith hangs from the basket after dunking the ball over Houston Rockets forward Shane Battier (L) and forward Chuck Hayes (44) in the second half of their NBA game in Houston January 20, 2007. [Reuters]

That all worked through nine wins in the first 11 games without Yao Ming. Then the defense went, then the rebounding. Then finally, caught in a pickup game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, the Rockets found a way to lose it late.

The Nuggets blew past the scoring every team had managed against the Rockets this season, then left the Rockets in the dust, too, surging late for p a 121-113 overtime win Saturday at Toyota Center, the Rockets' third consecutive loss.

"We got exactly what we deserved," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "They got what they deserved because they worked. And we got what we deserved because we didn't."

The Rockets had traded baskets through most of the night, led by 13 in with 10:28 left in the regulation and by eight with 2:50 left. But they never had done much to get in the Nuggets' way. So when the Rockets offense betrayed them, their defense was exposed, unable to keep the Rockets in the game.

"Did you say defense?" Rockets guard Tracy McGrady said. "What is that? What is defense? We don't know. Tonight, we don't know what defense is. We didn't play any. There was no defense. We let them do whatever they wanted to do, drive, pass when they wanted to pass. We didn't play any."

Still, the Rockets had done enough on the offensive end to give themselves every chance to win. When McGrady hit a 3 with 2:50 left, the Rockets led 108-100. But Rafer Alston fouled Allen Iverson on a 3-pointer, Iverson hit three free throws, and the floodgates were open and flowing only in one direction. The Rockets made just 2 of their last 15 shots as the Nuggets scored nine more points than any team has against the Rockets this season, including 13 in overtime.

Until then, the Rockets had made 41 of 81 shots, half their 24 shots from 3-point range and scored 108 points. The Rockets expected that to be enough.

But the Nuggets had more or as many points, field goals, and second-chance points as any Rockets opponent this season. Iverson made just 12 of 30 shots, but had 36 points and 10 assists. Marcus Camby had 22 rebounds after getting 24 against the Rockets eight days earlier. And JR Smith came off the bench to provide 24 points and start the Nuggets' fourth-quarter surge.

That did not all happen in the last two minutes of regulation and overtime.

"The lack of work started in the first half," Van Gundy said. "After the first four or five minutes, our defense was very, very disappointing. You can tell by 3-point defense because you have to do multiple things. You have to stay in front of the all. If you have to help, you have to recover. If we're recovering, we're fouling jump shooters. We're not closing out. We're getting beat off the dribble a second time. There's not second effort, third effort, we never stop mentality.

"Just to play at a level that gives you a chance to win in this league, you have to be all out. And we're not. I haven't liked the feel really since that Sacramento game (the Rockets last win). I haven't liked the way we've played. We're trying to take shortcuts. We're not willing to hit and be hit. This league turns around real quick if you're not willing to work."

Suddenly, that Rockets stretch in which they moved to the fourth-best record in the Western Conference seems much longer ago than a week ago in Sacramento.

"That stretch when we won like 9 out of 10 ballgames, that's what we've got to get back to," McGrady said. "The last three games, even the game in Sacramento, we didn't play defense. It's just we had a spectacular fourth quarter and overtime on offense. If we think we think we're going to win ballgames playing the way we're playing, it's not going to happen.

"I thought they took it away and the last four games defensively, we were not willing to do what it takes to win. Defense and rebounding has been really disappointing."