Month: December 2021

Rockets Hit the Road for Matinee Matchup in Detroit

New-Look Rematch.    Opportunity Arises.    Other Side of History.

Houston begins a five-game road trip on Saturday afternoon in Detroit, as they visit the sliding Pistons. The Rockets lost the first meeting between these teams, 112-104, back on November 10th. These squads have both undergone significant changes since that matchup. The Rockets were in the middle of their 15-game losing streak, and since have had a seven-game winning streak, before losing three of their past four. The Pistons have shut down Jerami Grant for the season with an injury. Grant looked like an All-Star when these teams first met, but he won’t be a nuisance for Houston this time around. Cade Cunningham has quietly improved his play as the season’s move on, while the Rockets have discovered the capabilities of Garrison Matthews, and other contributors who have shown they’re better than G-League fodder.

This is the best chance the Rockets have at getting a win on this road trip. Detroit has the worst record in the NBA, and they’re one of the few teams Houston’s legitimately better than. The Pistons are also currently riding a 13-game losing streak. Houston owns the longest losing streak of this season, at 15 games, but they’d love to change that part of history by pushing Detroit closer to that mark. If anything, it’s bad for morale to get swept by the worst team in the NBA. Expect the Rockets to play with some pride, and hunger, even though they’re in the midst of a tough stretch of the schedule.

Hopefully Christian Wood returns for the Rockets, who are still waiting on Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Danuel House Jr. to return as well. Regardless, Houston should win this game. They looked gassed in their last loss to the Knicks on Thursday night. Friday is a much-needed rest day, but the team also travels to Detroit. If the squad can get a few injured bodies back, it would ease the fatigue haunting this short-handed Houston team. The Rockets are now 1-4 since they’re seven-game winning streak was snapped by the Milwaukee Bucks a week ago. Luckily for Houston, Little Caesars Arena is the perfect place for NBA teams in dire need of a slice of victory.

 

Little Caesars Arena:  Detroit, Michigan

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (9-20):  Black

Detroit Pistons (4-23):  Gray

Tip:  11 AM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Come Up Short Against Knicks, 116-103

Opportunity Baskets.    Wise Theis.    Missing Wood.

The Rockets, in the midst of playing eight out of nine games on the road, made a pit stop in Houston on Thursday night to face the New York Knicks. And for a while, it seemed like a return to the friendly confines of home was all the Rockets needed. After trailing 39-30 after the first period, Houston slowly chipped into the deficit to make it a two-point contest entering the final quarter. Unfortunately, the Rockets were gassed, as New York outscored Houston 32-21 in the fourth period, en route to a 116-103 victory over the Rockets. Evan Fournier caught fire late for the Knicks, scoring 23 points. Immanuel Quickley led New York with 24 points and Julius Randle added 21. For Houston, Daniel Theis started in place of Christian Wood, who missed his second straight game. Theis has the rare role of either starting a game, or not playing at all. Theis had one of his better games of the season, posting 22 points and 10 boards. Jae’Sean Tate added 20, and Garrison Matthews scored 17 points.

Houston lacked the energy to secure opportunity baskets on Thursday. Finding transitional buckets off of rebounds was non-existent for the Rockets. This match was  Houston’s fifth game in seven days, and tired legs were evident across the Rockets’ short-handed roster. Houston played hard, but were simply too undermanned to pull out the home victory. KJ Martin and Josh Christopher combined for 29 points, but they were the only bright spots for Houston’s reserves. The rest of the Rockets’ bench only managed to score a collective seven points.

Houston heads back out on the road for the next five games, starting with a matinee matchup in Detroit on Saturday afternoon. It looks like we won’t get Jalen Green vs. Cade Cunningham Part 2, but hopefully Christian Wood will be back. The Pistons are a physical team and the Rockets will need their big bruiser if they want to get back on the winning track as they hit the road again.

Rockets Aim to Regroup, Host Slumping Knicks

Pit Stop.    Stuck in the Mud.    Heart of a Champion.

The Rockets return home for a brief stop to host the Knicks on Thursday night, before heading back out on the road. Houston is right in the thick of a brutal stretch in  their schedule. The squad is in the midst of playing 8 out of 9 games on the road, with tonight being the home matchup for the Rockets. It’s also Houston’s fifth game in the last seven days. In other words, the Rockets are going to be fighting tired legs, as they did last night in Cleveland, where they looked stuck in the mud. Lucky for Houston, they should expect to get Eric Gordon back in the lineup, who was sorely missed in Wednesday’s loss to the Cavs. Christian Wood may also be returning for some added firepower for a tired Rocket team. The good news is, the Knicks are slumping. After a promising start, New York has lost four straight games. The Knicks are also coming off witnessing history, as Stephen Curry broke the NBA’s three-point record in the Garden in New York’s latest defeat. This game won’t have the anticipation of the Knicks most recent loss, but the Rockets should be excited to be home, if only for a moment.

Houston is honoring the greatest coach in franchise history, Rudy Tomjanovich, tonight. “Rudy T” led the Rockets to back-to-back Championships in the mid-90’s, the first against the New York Knicks. An inspiring figure, Rudy T almost lost his life after being leveled by the Lakers’ Kermitt Washington in a game back in 1978. Tomjanovich recovered even stronger, becoming an All-Star in 1979, and then winning two championships as Houston’s coach in 1994 and 1995. Hopefully these current Rocket players, most of whom where never born when Rudy T took Houston to the promise land, can find inspiration by seeing the crowd react to Tomjanovich’s presence.

In these teams previous meeting on November 20th, the Knicks won 106-99, in Madison Square Garden. The Rockets aim to square up the season series tonight. Julius Randle will once again be New York’s biggest threat, especially if the Rockets are once again missing Christian Wood. The Knicks have recently been hit by COVID, as many unvaccinated teams in the sports world have. New York placed four players on the health and safety protocols: R.J. Barrett, Kevin Knox, Obi Toppin, and Quentin Grimes. So it’s a battle of shorthanded teams tonight in Houston. And it’s a rematch of the 1994 NBA Finals any time these two squads get together. The Rockets will look to replicate what occurred back in that series on Thursday night in Toyota Center.

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

New York Knicks (12-16):  White

Houston Rockets (9-19):  Navy “City Edition”

 

Tip:  7 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Sliced and Diced by Cavs in 124-89 Route

Best to Worst.    Early Exit.    Sealed by Sengun.

Coming off their most impressive victory of the season, the Rockets had high hopes entering their matchup in Cleveland. Those hopes were quickly laid to rest, as Houston suffered their worst loss of the season, a 124-89 beatdown at the hands of the Cavaliers. The Rockets never led, and trailed by as many as 45 points in this ugly loss. Granted, Houston was very shorthanded with no Eric Gordon, Christian Wood, Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Danuel House Jr. Regardless, you should never lose by 35 points, but the Rockets were gassed. All these games bunched together are starting to wear the injury-plagued sqaud down. And there’s no rest for the weary, as Houston plays again on Thursday night. 

Stephen Silas even took an early exit to the locker room at the end of the first quarter. No, it wasn’t because he couldn’t stand the sight of what was unraveling on the court. Coach Silas was dehydrated, and   assistant coach John Lucas took over the head coaching reigns for the ailing Silas. According to reports, Silas is feeling better, and plans to be with the team as they take on the Knicks back in Houston on Thursday.

If there was one Rocket who didn’t look exhausted, it was Alperen Sengun. The 19-year-old rookie put on a show in his best individual game of the year. Sengun supplied a career-high 19 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 28 minutes of action, the most he’s ever played in an NBA game. With no Wood, Sengun got more looks and opportunities to display why he deserves to be unleashed. The days of Sengun seeing less than 20 minutes a night should be over. Houston’s prized rookie, the steal of the draft at the 16th pick, is too talented and deserves at least 20-25 minutes a night. It might sound simple, but Sengun makes winning plays, and the Rockets simply play better when he’s on the court.

Houston aims to get back on track as they make a quick pit-stop home to host the Knicks on Thursday, before heading back out on the road. New York has struggled lately, losers of four games in a row. If the Rockets can muster the energy, they should have high hopes they can get back in the winning column when they return home on Thursday night.

Rockets Battle Cavs in Matchup of Hot Teams

Heated Surprises.    Absent Gordon.    Knocking on Wood.

Houston closes their three-game road trip with a visit to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Both teams are two of the hottest teams in the league at the moment. The Rockets and Cavs are both 8-2 in their last ten games. Houston is coming off their most impressive outing, a 19-point comeback win over the Hawks in Atlanta. Cleveland is riding a four-game winning streak, plus their only losses over the past ten games are to the Bucks and Jazz, two Finals contenders. The Cavs have been the biggest surprise of the entire NBA this season. No one expected Cleveland to be competitive this year, yet the Cavs stand in fourth place in the East at this point, with a 17-12 record. Their rookie, Evan Mobley, the third pick in the draft, is currently the front-runner for Rookie of the Year. Mobley was chosen one spot after Houston picked Jalen Green at second. Green is still out tonight for the Rockets, although recent reports indicate he’s making progress, and shouldn’t be out too much longer. Before going down, Green was averaging 14 points a game, and starting to show signs of consistency after an up-and-down start to his NBA career. Mobley, on the other hand, has only missed 4 games for Cleveland, and is averaging 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds a night. Besides Mobley, the Cavs have six other players averaging double-figures in scoring.

Cleveland’s guard Darius Garland is their best overall player, and having a breakout season. Collin Sexton, previously thought to be the face of the Cavs’ future, suffered a season-ending injury earlier this year. His absence opened the door for more touches for Garland, and he’s one of the main reasons the Cavs are surprising teams across the league. Jarret Allen is also having a monster year in the ‘Land. Cleveland’s center will pose plenty of problems for Houston in the paint. Allen is averaging 17.3 points and 11.1 rebound per game, both career-highs. Kevin Love is also having a renaissance of sorts in Cleveland. The former All-Star is coming off the bench for the Cavs, but he’s still producing in limited minutes, especially recently. Love led Cleveland with 23 points in their last game, a win over the Miami Heat. Love, along with Cedi Osman are the Cavs two biggest shooting threats on the perimeter. The Rockets can’t afford to leave either of them open, or Cleveland’s longest tenured-duo will make Houston pay.

After coming off of his best game of the season, Eric Gordon will miss tonight’s contest with a groin injury. The Rockets will need everyone to step up, as has been the case during what’s turning into an injury-plagued Houston roster. Christian Wood is questionable as well for Houston. And the squad is still missing Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Danuel House Jr. If Wood is unable to go, expect Daniel Theis and Alperen Sengun to get heavy minutes.Instead of a Green/Mobley showdown, another Houston rookie might square off against Mobley in the post. With more playing time and each passing game, Sengun is improving and showing he’s likely the steal of the most recent draft, with the Rockets snagging him at the 16th spot. Sengun might have his bets chance yet to out on a show in big minutes tonight in Cleveland. Allen and Mobley pose challenging obstacles, but Sengun impressed the Greek Freak the other night… Al-P isn’t afraid to attack anyone. Hopefully, Christian Wood can go tonight for Houston, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Houston plays it cautious with Wood. Tonight is the first half of a back-to-back for the Rockets, who travel home tomorrow to host the Knicks. But before they return to Houston… these Rockets just might have another road-shocker for the NBA’s most-surprising team.

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse:  Cleveland, Ohio

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (9-18):  Red

Cleveland Cavaliers (17-12):  White

 

Tip:  6 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Splashlanta:  Rockets Rally to Shock Hawks, 132-126, in Impressive Comeback Win

DJ of the Night.    Reserve Rally.    The Ultimate Pro.

It appeared this game was out of reach for the Rockets. Houston trailed by as many as 19 points at one moment, and the score read 97-80 with under a minute remaining in the third period. But this is a different Rockets team than the squad we saw a month ago. Eric Gordon and D.J. Augustin led a furious rally in the fourth quarter, and Houston came back to stun Atlanta, 132-126, on Monday night. The veteran duo both had their best games of the year. EG finished with a season-high 32 points to lead the Rockets, who survived a 41-point outburst from Atlanta’s Trae Young. The ever-so-daring Augustin had his best game as a Rocket, scoring a season-high 22 points on 6-for-7 shooting from long range, in only 23 minutes. As a team, Houston shot lights out from distance in the fourth quarter, hitting 8 of their 11 three-pointers. The team scored 44 points on 65% shooting in the period, as EG and the bench fueled the most impressive comeback of the season. It’s only the Houston’s second road win, and their first when trailing by double-digits entering the final period.

Along with the veterans, this was truly a team-effort from every Rocket who saw the floor. Nine Houston players got at least 21 minutes of playing time, as everyone contributed for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun played his first crunch-time minutes of his career on Monday night. And it won’t be the last time, as the rookie is slowly carving out a bigger role for himself with spectacular play. Sengun was a part of the group that outscored the Hawks 44-25 in the final quarter. Al-P registered 11 points, 6 boards, and led Houston with 4 assists in 25 minutes of action. The Rockets bench exploded for 62 points, and other than EG, it was all reserves on the court during during Houston’s rally in the fourth quarter. KJ Martin had another strong performance with 13 points, and Josh Christopher continues to see more playing time, getting 24 minutes of action on Monday.

However, the Rockets don’t comeback to shock last year’s Eastern Conference Finalists without David Nwaba. Armoni Brooks suffered an injury during the contest, opening the door for an opportunity for Nwaba. David has played sparingly over recent games. He even saw a stretch during Houston’s winning streak where he didn’t play for six straight games. And on Monday night, Nwaba didn’t hit the court until late in the third quarter. After hitting only one three all season, Nwaba hit two clutch threes late in this contest, and was a major part of Houston’s comeback. He finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and had the defensive play of the night, sealing the victory for Houston by stealing the ball from Trae Young in the final minute. Nwaba, along with David Theis, who didn’t play tonight, define what it means to be a true professional. These guys start some games, come off the bench for others, and even go stretches of games where they don’t play at all. Yet when their number’s called, they’re always ready. It’s something the Rockets’ young core can learn from their savvy veterans. Even Augustin is someone who’s minutes typically fluctuate at a high rate. Yet tonight, the veterans showed what it means to be “always ready” in the NBA. There’s a reason the bench (besides EG) finished the game instead of the Rockets starters. The reserves played so hard, and Houston’s bench is full of guys with something to prove. And they sure proved on Monday night they deserve more playing time, making Stephen Silas’ job more challenging, in the best way.

Houston is now 8-2 in their last ten games after starting the season 1-16. They’re actually closer to the play-in spot than having the worst record. This Rockets team plays too hard to lose. Hate it or love it Houston fans, this Rocket team doesn’t know how to tank, and they won’t finish with the worst record in basketball. They had a brutal early schedule, and obvious growing pains with a young group to start the season. And with two thirds of the season remaining, there will still be plenty of bumps down the road. But Houston is starting to show the league that they’re not as bad as their horrific start. With a team composed of guys with giant chips on their shoulders… no game’s out of reach.

Rockets Travel to Atlanta, Aim to Shoot Down the Hawks

The Young Problem.    Closing Out.    The Bounce Back.

After a brutal back-to-back over the weekend, the Rockets travel to Atlanta hoping to snap a two-game losing skid as they face the Hawks. Atlanta was in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, although this season they’ve struggled to maintain consistency. The Hawks sit at 13-13 in the standings, and Atlanta’s lost three of their last four games. Nonetheless, the Rockets still have plenty of problems to address as they head into their third game in four days on Monday night. Houston is still without Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. The squad could really use their starting backcourt, but it’s more important Green and KPJ fully recover before they return. The Rockets are also without Danuel House Jr. once again. On Atlanta’s side, the Hawks  will be missing De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Regardless, the Birds still have the best player on the court, Trae Young, also Houston’s biggest headache of the night.

The Rockets faced two-time MVP Giannis a couple games back, and have played against plenty of great players. And Trae Young is right up their with the best of them. But opposed to Giannis, who’s a post/transitional threat, as opposed to the perimeter, Young can beat you from anywhere on the court. Especially from long distance. Young’s one of the best young shooters in the game, and has a knack for Steph Curry-like range from beyond the three-point line. The key to tonight’s game will be Houston’s ability to close out on open shooters on the perimeter. Young is one of the best passers in basketball, and he can drive to the basket at-will. So, as double-teams come to help on whoever’s guarding Young, the other Rockets have to hustle on defense to close out on a plethora of deadly Hawk shooters. Specifically, Kevin Huerter, Lou Williams, Cam Reddish, and Danilo Gallinari, all players who will punish Houston if they’re left wide open.

Atlanta also has former-Rocket Clint Capela starting at Center. Capela’s played well since Houston traded him a couple years ago. There’s no doubt Capela wants to have a huge game tonight, and will be highly motivated to get revenge against his former team. John Collins is also one fo the best young power forwards in the game. Houston has trouble to deal with inside and out tonight in Atlanta. Hopefully, a day of rest will give the Rockets the energy needed to bounce back, and snap the losing streak. Houston’s playing harder than they were earlier in the season, they haven’t lost a game by double-digits in three weeks, after seemingly getting blown out every night. Despite the outcomes of recent games, this Houston squad has improved immensely throughout the season. Will it be enough to garner the squad a victory tonight? It won’t be easy against Trae Young and a hungry Hawks team, but the Rockets have a much better chance at winning compared to how they were playing earlier in the year. 

 

State Farm Arena:  Atlanta, Georgia

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (8-18):  White

Atlanta Hawks (13-13):  Red

 

Tip:  6:30 PM

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Fall to Grizzlies, 113-106, for Second Straight Loss

Jammed Schedule.    Twin Towers.    Different Losses.

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Rockets didn’t have the energy required to pull out a gutsy victory in Memphis. Houston put up a valiant effort, but came up short, 113-106, on Saturday night. The Rockets played much better compared to the 136-102 beatdown the Grizzlies gave them earlier this season. Dillon Brooks’ season-high 25 points fueled the Grizz, who continue to have success without Ja Morant. Christian Wood had another double-double to lead Houston, with 22 points and 11 boards. Armoni Brooks scored 18 points, putting up another solid game for the Rockets. Garrison Matthews and Josh Christopher had 12 points apiece. And Alperen Sengun, put on another show. The 19-year-old rookie tied his career-high with 15 points, to go with 6 rebounds and 6 assists, in a more-than-usual 23 minutes of playing time.

The stats alone don’t tell the tale with Sengun. His passing is arguably his greatest asset. He’s one of the best passing big men I’ve ever seen. And he’s only beginning his NBA journey. Sengun has a point guard’s vision, his feel for the court is an intangible that can’t be taught. Age shouldn’t restrict this guy. Sengun is wise beyond his years, and very talented. He’s arguably the best rookie in the entire draft class, no offense to Jalen Green. If only Stephen Silas gave him consistent minutes. In addition to being an elite passer, Sengun’s already shown glimpses of Hakeem Olajuwon-like moves in the post. There’s good things to come in Houston’s future from what looks like the steal of the draft in Sengun.

Daniel Theis started this game, mainly to match up with Steven Adams, one of the tougher players in the NBA. However, Adams suffered an injury, and that allowed Sengun to get more playing time than usual, as Theis only played 18 minutes and wasn’t a factor once Adams left the game. Wood and Sengun played together for the most minutes all season, and hopefully they’ll get more chances in the future. The Rockets have now lost two in a row after their seven-game winning streak. Saturday in Memphis was going to be difficult regardless, as Houston played so hard the night prior against Milwaukee. They might not admit it, but the team had tired legs, yet still only lost by 7 points, after starting the game in an 11-1 hole. The Rockets could’ve easily given up, and got blown out why 30 again in Memphis. But this is a different Houston team. The Rockets led most of the night against the Bucks, but came up short agains the Champs. And second-halves of a back-to-back are always difficult, especially on the road. This was also the Rockets’ fourth game in six days. And the jammed schedule doesn’t let up, as Houston’s in the midst of a five-game in seven-days stretch at the moment. The squad will get a day off before facing the Hawks in Atlanta, where maybe, just maybe, the Rockets will have more fuel for a victory.

Rockets Begin Road Stretch in Memphis, Face Grizzlies 

No Luck for Ja.    One Streak to Another.    Road Warriors.

Houston heads to Memphis to battle the Grizzlies on Saturday night in the second half of their weekend back-to-back. The Rockets look to bounce back after having their winning streak snapped by the Milwaukee Bucks last night. Memphis is surprisingly holding onto the fourth seed in the Western Conference, with a record of 15-11. Even more surprising is their play of late without superstar Ja Morant, who went down a few weeks ago with an injury. Luckily for the Rockets, they won’t have to worry about containing Morant tonight. Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., De’Anthony Melton, and veteran Steven Adams will pose the biggest problems for the Rockets tonight. This is also Houston’s third game in four days. Don’t be surprised if the squad appears to be running with tired legs.

The Rockets win streak came to an end at the hands of the Bucks in their previous game, but Houston aims to start another streak tonight in Memphis. The squad won their last road game, in Oklahoma City, and will try and make it two straight away from Toyota Center with a win on Saturday night.

Tonight commences a very difficult part of the schedule fo the Rockets. The journey is treacherous over these next nine games, eight of which will be on the road. Houston will need to play better than their 1-11 road record if they want to avoid another long losing streak. The squad aims to get back on the right path in Memphis against a Grizzlies team who is very beatable compared to the fierce competition Houston witnessed last night.

 

FedExForum:  Memphis, Tennessee

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (8-17):  Red

Memphis Grizzlies (15-11):  Navy “City Edition”

 

TV:  7 PM CT  –  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Lose to Bucks, 123-114, as Streak Comes to an End

Back to Earth.    Failure to Close.    Right Back at It.

Despite leading for most of the night, the Rockets lost their first game in over two weeks, as the Bucks snapped the streak at seven by dealing Houston a 123-114 loss on Friday night. The Rockets had no answer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who erupted for 41 points and 17 rebounds to lead Milwaukee. The Bucks also got 21 points apiece courtesy of Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis. Garrison Matthews continues to live up to his legend in Houston. Garry Bird led the Rockets in scoring with 23 points, and played with plenty of fire, even drawing the ire of former Rocket DeMarcus Cousins. Christian Wood posted 21 points and 13 boards, and Alperen Sengun had arguably his best game of the season. Sengun went right at the Greek Freak on offense, scoring a career-high 15 points in only 16 minutes of playing time. Armoni Brooks kept his streak of solid games, adding 21 points for Houston.

Down the stretch, the Rockets just lost to a better team. The champs put the clamps on Houston in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Rockets 33-19, and erasing a small 5-point edge Houston held entering the frame. This was a game where Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green’s absences were both sorely felt for the Rockets. The squad could’ve really used their two starting guards against an opponent who might win it all again this year. After winning seven games in a row, and being the talk of the league for a second, the Bucks brought the Rockets back to Earth. The team now hits the road to begin a tough stretch featuring eight of the next nine games away from Toyota Center.

Houston has no time rest. The Rockets are in the midst of a five games in seven days stretch. Tomorrow, the squad travels to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies in the second half of a back-to-back, and Houston’s third game in four days. They’ll look to start another win streak against a Ja Morant-less Memphis squad. But it won’t be easy. The Grizzlies are 15-11, good enough for fourth place in the West at the moment. So even if Houston leads for most of the night, if the Rockets can’t fire on all cylinders in the final quarter, they’re going to experience what happened on Friday often this season. Hopefully Houston can snap that bad habit.