HOUSTON (AP) – If there’s one player who never has to be reminded of the importance of rebounding, it’s Denver’s Kenneth Faried.

That was clear on Wednesday night.

Ty Lawson scored 21 points and Faried had 16 points and 16 rebounds to help the Nuggets to a 93-87 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Faried, a second-year player who holds the NCAA modern-era record for rebounds with 1,673 in his college career, had three in the last minute to hold off a late surge from Houston.

“I just felt the whole game that Kenneth had the spirit that he was going to win this game tonight,” Denver coach George Karl said. “He was pretty incredible.”

James Harden had a tough night for the Rockets and finished with a season-low 15 points on 5 of 15 shooting.

Harden bulled into the lane for a layup to cut Denver’s lead to five with just less than four minutes remaining. But Danilo Gallinari tipped in a missed free throw before a rim-rattling alley-oop dunk by Faried pushed the lead to 89-80.

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