Month: February 2024

Rockets Travel to OKC, Face Thunder to Begin Tough Road Stretch

Part 2.    Ultimate Road Challenge.    Defend the Three.    

For the first time all season, the Rockets will be playing on national television, as they travel to face the Thunder on Oklahoma City. This contest will be televised on TNT, and Houston will have a much wider audience than the usual game. This gives the Rockets a chance to show the entire country their skillset. The problem: they’ll be playing the Thunder once again, who are tied with the Timberwolves for the best record in the Western Conference. Houston has beaten OKC once this season, so a victory tonight isn’t impossible. Tonight’s contest marks the end of a home and home between these squads, as the Thunder won the previous game in Houston, 123-110, on Sunday night.

This is the third game in a tough five game stretch that sees the Rockets playing the Thunder and Suns over five straight contests. It’s the first time in Houston’s franchise history that they’ve played two unique opponents over a five game period. The Rockets are 1-1 so far, but now they head on the road, where they have the second worst record in the entire league. Hopefully, Houston can win at least one of these next three road games, before the return home next week.

Besides containing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, the key to winning tonight’s game for the Rockets will be defending the perimeter. The Thunder shot very well from beyond the arc in Sunday’s matchup between these squads. Houston needs to tighten up their defense tonight in OKC, a task that’s been a problem for this Rockets team all season long on the road. This is Houston’s most difficult game during this tough five game stretch, as the Thunder boast an impressive 20-6 record at home. Maybe the bright lights of the national stage will inspire this Rockets team to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season. It would be a much-needed confidence boost for this young squad that is really struggling on the road. Houston looks to put those road woes to sleep as they battle the Thunder once again on Tuesday night.

 

Paycom Center:  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (25-32):  White

Oklahoma City Thunder (40-17):  Orange

 

Tip-Off:  9:00 PM CT

TV:  TNT

Second Half Slump Dooms Rockets in 123-110 Loss to Thunder

Tale of Two Halves.    Bari’s Evolution.    Scenery Change.    

Houston led by as many as 16 points in the first half on Sunday night, but it wasn’t enough, as this contest was a tale of two halves. The Oklahoma City Thunder rallied in the second half to take over the game, dealing the Rockets a 123-110 defeat at Toyota Center. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 36 points and rookie Chet Holmgren added 29 points, as OKC dominated the second portion of this matchup, spoiling Houston’s hopes for a victory.

Jabari Smith Jr. had another spectacular performance for the Rockets. Playing against one of the teams that passed on him in the draft, Bari was noticeably more motivated than usual on Sunday night. Smith Jr. led the Rockets with 20 points and 17 rebounds on the night. Fred VanVleet added 20 points for Houston, and Alperen Sengun chipped in 19 points and 12 boards. But once the game reached the six-minute mark in the second quarter, the Rockets were dominated by the Thunder for the rest of the contest.

These two teams will face-off once again in their next game on Tuesday night, as Houston begins a tough three-game road-trip in OKC. The Rockets boast the league’s second worst record on the road, at 5-22, while the Thunder are an impressive 20-6 back at home. The next matchup will be nationally televised on TNT, as Houston aims to get a huge upset win with the eyes of a national audience watching on Tuesday night in OKC.

Rockets Host Thunder in First of Two-Game Set

Part 1.    MVP?    One for the Road.

Houston welcomes the Oklahoma City Thunder to town on Sunday night, as the Rockets seek to win their second straight game. Houston is coming off an impressive victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. Tonight’s contest presents a tough challenge, as OKC is tied for the best record in the Western Conference. They have arguable the league’s MVP, in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Rookie of the Year, in Chet Holmgren. SGA continues to get more press in the MVP hype, and Holmgren is off to a stellar first season. The Rockets need to focus on containing these two young stars, as well as the Thunder’s Jalen Williams, who is having a breakout year in his second season, evolving into OKC’s third-best player.

The Rockets won the first matchup against the Thunder, 110-101, in Houston back on December 6th. So Houston is capable of beating this talented OKC team. Tonight’s tilt marks the first of a home-and-home between these teams, as they’ll face-off again on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. The Thunder’s biggest weakness is their lack of rebounding. The Rockets need to take advantage of their size and impose their will on the glass. Tonight may be Houston’s best chance to get another victory over the next four games, as they’ll hit the road after Sunday’s matchup for three toughies.

Houston is 20-9 at home, and they’ll look to build on their impressive home record as they battle a Thunder team that’s gotten better as the season’s moved on. OKC is tied for first in the West, and a better team than when the Rockets faced them back in December. Houston needs to be ready to weather an incoming storm, and hope to contain SGA from having another MVP-caliber performance this season.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Oklahoma City Thunder (39-17):  Blue

Houston Rockets (25-31):  “City Edition” White

 

Tip-Off:  6:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Rise Past Suns, 114-110, Win Third Straight at Home

Home, Sweet, Home.    Rescued by Rookies.    Tough Stretch Continues.

The Rockets continued their impressive play at home, as they rallied from an early deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns, 114-110, on Friday night. The victory gives Houston their third straight home win, as they held off a talented Suns team at Toyota Center. Kevin Durant led Phoenix with 28 points, Devin Booker added 25 points, and Bol Bol came off the bench to almost spoil this game for Houston. Bol had his best game of the season, scoring 25 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 23 points. Jabari Smith Jr. had a fantastic game, scoring 22 points and grabbing 16 boards. Alperen Sengun contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds, but it was the rookies, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, who came off the bench to spark Houston. The Rockets faced an early 16 point deficit in the first half, but the rookies fueled a comeback that allowed Houston to outscore Phoenix 37-24 in the second quarter. Thompson and Whitmore both finished with 15 points, with Amen grabbing 10 boards for another double-double as he continues to get better with each game. Houston is now 20-9 at home on the season, compared to a dreadful 5-22 on the road. The Rockets will have one more home game on Sunday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, before heading off on a tough three-game road-trip.

Up next, Houston has a home-and-home against the Thunder, before facing this same Suns team twice in a row in Phoenix next week. It’s arguably one of the toughest stretches of the season for the Rockets, but with Friday’s win, they’re off to a solid start. Hopefully they can protect home court on Sunday night against a very good Thunder team. Houston has been terrible on the road all season, so the next game is the Rockets best chance to get another win during this brutal five-game run.

Rockets Return Home, Host Suns for Second Time

Home Medicine.    Sunny Future.    Back-to-Back.

The Houston Rockets return home on Friday night for the first time after the All-Star break. Awaiting them will be the Phoenix Suns, who beat the Rockets earlier this season in Houston shortly after Christmas. Both teams are coming off losses last night, the Suns in Dallas, and the Rockets in New Orleans. So tonight’s matchup is even in terms of rest-advantage. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker both played near 40 minutes last night, which could be good news for Houston tonight. Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic will both miss tonight’s contest for Phoenix, as they’re dealing with injuries. Durant and Booker are the Suns’ most lethal threats offensively, and the Rockets need to keep an eye on Grayson Allen, who’s having the best season of his young career. Phoenix’s pesky guard is shooting lights out from beyond the arc, and scored 16 points in the first matchup between these squads.

The Rockets have shown to be completely different team at home opposed to on the road this season. Houston is 19-9 at Toyota Center, good for the fifth best home record out West. Expect the Rockets to be much sharper tonight after coming off another disappointing road loss. Houston is still without Tari Eason, who may be shut down for the remainder of the season, although Coach Ime Udoka or the Rockets haven’t officially made any statements implying this just yet.

Houston will be seeing a lot of these Suns in the near future. Phoenix won the first matchup, 129-113, on December 27th in H-Town. Entering tonight, three of the next five games for the Rockets are against the Suns. They’ll play Phoenix twice in a row in the desert next week. Considering how poorly Houston performs on the road, they really need to win tonight if they want a chance to beat the Suns at all this season. Look for the Rockets to at least make it a competitive game tonight, and given Phoenix’s injuries, Houston may be able to pile on another home win in their return to Toyota Center.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Phoenix Suns (33-23):  Purple

Houston Rockets (24-31):  “City Edition” White

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Dismantled by Pelicans, 127-105, as Season Resumes

Road Worriers.    Out of Contention.    Home End.

Houston entered their post All Star Break portion of the season on Thursday night, with the hopes of turning a new leaf on the road. However, their visit to The Big Easy turned into anything but easy, as the Rockets were pounded by the Pelicans, 127-105, en route to another road loss on the season. Amen Thompson scored a career-high 22 points to lead Houston, as he was basically the lone bright spot for the Rockets on Thursday. Alperen Sengun added 20 points and 9 boards, but Houston was overmatched from the opening tip in New Orleans. C.J. McCollum led the Pelicans with 28 points. Zion Williamson added 27 points, and Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 14 rebounds for a New Orleans team that dominated the battle inside the paint. Jalen Green scored 10 points for Houston, but shot only 3-for-14 from the floor, as his struggles on the road continued. The Rockets never really made this contest interesting, as they failed to outscore the Pelicans in any of the four quarters.

The Rockets have now the second worst road record in the entire league, only to the Detroit Pistons, who own the NBA’s worst overall record. Houston is a dismal 5-22 on the road. That’s a big enough sample size to note the Rockets are desperately struggling away from home. They’ve played almost two-thirds of the way through the season, and with 14 road games remaining, Houston will be hard-pressed to get even 10 road wins this season. With an overall record of 24-31, the Rockets are now 5 games out of the final Play-In position, with only 27 games remaining in the season. Houston’s not officially out of contention yet, but their chances are slimming with each loss.

Up next, the Rockets will return home to the friendly confines of Toyota Center, where they seem to play like a different team. Houston is 19-9 at home, the best home record in the Western Conference outside of the top four seeds. Houston has tough competition coming into town, as they’ll host the Phoenix Suns on Friday, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. Both of those teams are playoff-bound, and could possibly even win the West. Hopefully a return home can get the Rockets back on track, as they enter the final third stretch of the season.

Rockets Visit Pelicans in First Game After Break

Fresh Start.    Hot Birds.    The Fight Back.

In their first game after a much-needed All-Star break, the Rockets resume action in New Orleans as they battle the Pelicans for the final time this season. Houston is 2-1 against the Pels this season, but New Orleans won the previous matchup between these squads in Houston back on January 31st. However, the Rockets won the first two matches in tightly contested battles earlier in the season. Overall, Houston has lost five of their past six games entering tonight’s contest. The Rockets’ chances for a shot at sneaking into the Play-In tournament are waning with each loss. They still have a shot, but the odds are stacked against Houston. New Orleans, meanwhile, is 33-22 and are in the middle of the thick playoff race in the West. The Pelicans are in sixth place at the moment and need every win they can get in order to position themselves pleasingly in a crowded playoff field.

These birds have been streaking lately. The Pelicans have won seven of their past eight games, and are relatively healthy at the moment. Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas will likely be big headaches for Alperen Sengun in the paint tonight. How Sengun responds is the key to tonight’s matchup. Sengun is averaging 30.5 points a contest in the Rockets wins over New Orleans this season. In the loss Sengun mustered only 10 points. The matchup inside between him and Valanciunas is the key to the game. Houston was able to get Valanciunas in foul trouble in their victories over the Pels. The Rockets need to attack New Orlean’s center, who is foul prone, as evidenced in the first two games between these squads in H-Town. New Orleans’ perimeter threats Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum both seem to always play well against Houston. The Rockets defense needs to contain the aforementioned top four players on the Pelicans squad if they want any chance to steal their sixth road win of the season tonight. Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones are other threats on the wings for New Orleans that will need to be contained by Houston’s defense. The Rockets must keep the scoring below the 110 point threshold if possible tonight. Houston has held New Orleans to 105 points a game in their three matchups this season, well below the Pelicans’ average.

After having a week off, the Rockets now begin the home stretch of the season. Houston currently holds a record of 24-30, good for 12th place in the Western Conference. If the Rockets want any chance to sneak into the Play-In tourney, they need to finish as a top ten seed. Tari Eason remains out with a leg injury, but the rest of Houston’s roster should be rested and ready to go. Tonight’s contest will reveal just how much fight this Houston squad has in them. Are they content staying on the outside looking in at the playoffs this season? Or do the Rockets really want to surprise the basketball world, and sneak into the Play-In? Tonight’s result and the effort Houston puts forth in the Big Easy will answer those questions… along with giving fans a quick glimpse of how the Rockets will approach these final 28 games of the season.

 

Smoothie King Center:  New Orleans, Louisiana

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (24-30):  Red

New Orleans Pelicans (33-22):  White

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Fall to Grizzlies, 121-113, in Final Game Before Break

Beale Street Blues.    Lost Effort.    Break Time.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, their break seemed to start a little early on Wednesday night in Memphis. The squad was mentally tuned out as they lost to the Grizzlies, 121-113 in their final game before the All-Star break. Just like the first game between these teams in Memphis, Houston trailed by 15 points after the first period. Unlike the prior game, the Rockets weren’t able to mount a comeback in this contest.

The minds of Houston’s players seemed to be on vacation a game early in Memphis, the last matchup before the league’s intermission, as the All-Star break is now officially underway for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, and Aaron Holiday all scored 19 points each to lead Houston. Thompson had another strong game on the glass, grabbing 12 boards to add another double-double to his resume. Thompson and Holiday were two of the few bright spots for the Rockets in Memphis.

Jalen Green had a disappointing performance on Wednesday night, scoring only 4 points in less than 23 minutes of action. The rarely played Nate Hinton saw 15 minutes of playing time, and responded by scoring 10 points and giving Houston a burst of energy to tighten the deficit. Regardless, this game was a lot effort for a Rockets team that played with no sense of urgency against the Grizz. GG Jackson led Memphis with 20 point off the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points, and sharpshooter Luke Kennard supplied 19 points to help the Grizzlies down Houston. With the victory, Memphis snapped their own nine-game skid. Against an equally injured opponent, this was one of Houston’s worst losses of the season for a Rockets team flying in vacation mode.

Houston is now 24-30 on the season as we head into the All-Star break. The Rockets are a respectable 19-9 at home, but the squad is struggling mightily on the road, with a 5-21 record away from Toyota Center. Houston will get a chance to improve their road woes right away after the break ends, as the Rockets’ next game is in New Orleans against the Pelicans next Thursday night. For now, the break couldn’t come at a better time for this young Houston squad. The Rockets are still dealing with multiple injuries to key players, and this extra time off allows those guys to rest and attempt to recover back to full health. The squad needs to enjoy some time off, relax, and be prepared to return for the home stretch of the season with a raised intensity. 

Rockets Visit Grizzlies in Final Game Before Break

Shooting for a Sweep.    Containing Juniors.    Rolling Break.

The Houston Rockets battle the Memphis Grizzlies for the final time on Wednesday night. Tonight’s game in Memphis is also Houston’s last game before the All-Star break, when the team will get a nice week off before their next game, on February 22nd. The Rockets are 3-0 against the Grizz this season, and one of their five road wins also came in Memphis earlier this season in Dillon Brooks’ best game, which coincided with his return to his former team’s arena. Tonight, Houston aims for a sweep over a Grizzlies team riding a ten-game losing streak. The Rockets are coming a close, yet controversial, win over the New York Knicks on Monday night. It would be nice for the squad to string two wins together before the break, something they haven’t done since early January.

If Houston wants to get their sixth road win tonight, they need to focus on containing the juniors. These include Memphis’ best player on the court, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Vince Williams Jr., who’s been playing very well since the Grizz became even more decimated by injuries. GG Jackson has also performed well for Memphis this season, as well as big man Santi Aldama. This Grizzlies team is currently the most injury-riddled squad in the NBA (with the likes of Ja Morant and Desomond Bane out for the remainder of the season).

Ime Udoka should have the Rockets fired up to achieve their first winning streak since early in the calendar year. As long as Houston’s players aren’t already thinking about vacation, a problem that can plague some teams in their final game before the break. The Grizz will host the Bucks back here in Memphis tomorrow night, so this isn’t their final game. As long as the Rockets stay in the moment, and don’t look ahead, they should be able to beat this Grizzlies team tonight.

 

FedExForum:  Memphis, Tennissee

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (24-29):  Red

Memphis Grizzlies (18-36):  Navy

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Fend-Off Knicks, 105-103, to Snap Skid

Home, Sweet Home.    Starting Double-Double.    Controversial Ending.

Houston held a firm 14-point lead at halftime on Monday night against the Knicks. Another poor third quarter almost doomed the Rockets, as they were outscored 28-17 in the period. However, Houston held on to beat the Knicks, 105-103, in their final game at Toyota Center before the All-Star break. Controversy surrounded the final play, as Jalen Brunson was called for a foul on Aaron Holiday’s late heave when the game was tied 103-103 with 0.3 remaining. Brunson had previously tied the game with a jumper, giving the Rockets 8 seconds to score. Holiday’s heave didn’t look like it had any chance of going in the hoop. However, first the first time seemingly all season, Houston was on the good side of a bad call from the officials on Monday night. New York filed a protest after the game, however only six protests have been successful in NBA history, and it’s very unlikely this far into the season the league will interfere with the result.

Dillon Brooks led the way for the Rockets with 23 points. Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 20 points and 7 boards. Alperen Sengun registered 18 points and 6 dimes, and Amen Thompson had another spectacular game. Basically a double-double machine when he starts, the rookie just missed the mark, but had a spectacular game defensively and finished with 8 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists. Jalen Green scored 16 points on an average night, and Aaron Holiday had another superb game off the bench. Holiday scored 18 points, including nailing the game-winning free throws. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 27 points, and Donte DiVinceno added 23 points for New York.

The Rockets are now 19-9 at home, as opposed to 5-20 on the road. Houston has one more game before the All-Star Break, as they will to travel to Memphis to face the Grizzlies for the final time this season on Wednesday night. The Rockets will be aiming for a sweep, and also will be looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since early January. Houston is 3-0 against Memphis this season, and will be eyeing a sweep in their last game before the break. The Rockets have really struggled on the road, but one of those road wins came in Memphis. Houston will aim to repeat that short history on Wednesday night.