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Rockets Visit Thunder, Hoping to Replicate Earlier Success

Repeating History.    The Rest Factor.    A Green Return.

The Rockets visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night, in the second matchup between these teams in the last three games for Houston. The Rockets are 2-0 against OKC this season, and 5-1 in their last 6 games overall. They’ve had more success against the Thunder than any franchise over the past two years. The squad will try and repeat history on the road Saturday night, as these teams square off in OKC for the first time this season.

The Thunder haven’t played since the previous matchup between these squads, and have had two days off. Houston, meanwhile, lost a tough match to the Raptors at home last night. The Rockets certainly won’t be as rested, but they’re a young team, and back-to-backs shouldn’t take a toll on Houston like they do to veteran teams.

Jalen Green returns after missing the previous three games with an injury. Eric Gordon has notched season-highs in scoring in the past three games, carrying the offensive load for the Rockets while Green was out. Hopefully Green returns ready to showcase his young, All-Star talent. Like Houston, Green’s been inconsistent this season. And the Rockets have struggled mightily on the second night of back-to-backs, but if there’s any team they’d want to be facing, one has to think it’s this OKC team, given Houston’s recent success over the Thunder. Expect Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to have batter performance than his sub-par 24-point night back on Wednesday. If the Rockets can contain SGA again, and find more success from beyond the arc, they have a chance to stay undefeated against the Thunder this season.

 

Paycom Center:  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (13-39):  Red

Oklahoma City Thunder (24-27):  White

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Lose Steam Late in 117-111 Loss to Raptors

Game of Runs.    Troublesome Trio.    Death by Three.

The winning times came to an end on Friday night, as the Rockets were edged by the Raptors, 117-111, Houston’s first loss in three games. This truly was a game of runs. The Rockets scored the game’s first 9 points, and started the game on a 19-6 run. However, Houston failed to score for the final four minutes of the period, hanging onto a one point lead after the first quarter. Toronto started the second half on a 14-2 run, and while the Rockets got back in the game and made it competitive, Houston was outplayed by a better team.

Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., and Pascal Siakam combined to score 84 points, as Houston and no answer for the Raps’ lethal trio. Eric Gordon scored a season-high for the third straight game, this time nothing 28 points for the night. KJ Martin’s consistency continues to be on full display. K-Mart scored 20 points and grabbed 6 boards in another start for Houston. Josh Christopher scored a season-high 15 points in 19 minutes, as he continues to make the most of his sparse playing time. And Alperen Sengun finished with 21 points, 4 boards and 4 assists on the night.

The Rockets didn’t shoot terribly, they just were destroyed from beyond the arc. Toronto outscored Hosuton by 24 points from three, which was essentially the difference in the game. Too many clutch threes late from VanVleet and Trent Jr. prevented a Rockets comeback. The squad will get right back into action on Saturday night, as they fly to Oklahoma City to take on a familiar foe in the Thunder, for the second time in three games. Hopefully the winning times can return on the road… Houston is 2-0 against OKC so far this season.

Rockets Aim for Third Straight Win, Raptors Visit Town

Transitional Nightmare.    Taming the Backcourt.    Extra Effort.

Houston hosts the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, as the Rockets aim to win three games in a row for the first time all season. Toronto is in the midst of a seven-game road-trip. This is stop number six for the Raptors, who come into tonight’s matchup with a record of 23-30. They’re right outside the playoff picture in the East, and should likely sneak into the playoffs by the Spring. O.G. Anunoby, one of their best players, has been out with a wrist injury, and will miss tonight’s matchup. Toronto still has plenty of players who can do damage on the court. Fred VanVleet is a former All-Star, Gary Trent Jr. is lethal, Scottie Barnes is the reigning Rookie-of-the-Year, and their best player, Pascal Siakam, was announced to the All-Star game as a reserve yesterday. The Rockets have plenty of problems to solve on the oppositions side tonight.

Houston is still without Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., both out with injuries. Can the Rockets tame the lethal backcourt of VanVleet and Trent Jr.? They’ll need to contain them comparable to how they put the defensive clamps on SGA in their previous win. Regardless, for a team that rarely wins two games in a row, three consecutive victories is asking a lot from this Rockets team. They’re going to need another big night from Tari Eason, who enters tonight’s contest riding three-straight double-doubles.

The biggest problem tonight for Houston will be on transition. All of the Rockets weakness’ play into Toronto’s strengths. Houston turns the ball over more than any team in the league, while the Raptors take care of the ball better than anyone in the NBA. They also feast off opponents’ turnovers. If the Rockets run into transitional trouble, they won’t have much of a chance to upset the Dinos tonight. However, victory isn’t out of the picture. If Houston continues to play with this blue-collar, hard-nosed manned they’ve displayed over their last couple games, they have a chance to upset Toronto, and make it three straight wins. The Raptors are a better team than the Thunder, Houston’s previous opponent. Regardless, expect tonight to be another close battle at Toyota Center. 

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Toronto Raptors (23-30):  Red

Houston Rockets (13-38):  Blue “City Edition”

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Weather Storm, Edge Thunder, 112-106

Better by the Dozen.    Hard Hats and Lunch Pails.    Deja Gordon.

For the second straight game, Eric Gordon notched a season-high, scoring 25 points, as the Rockets staved off the Thunder, 112-106, for their second consecutive victory. EG led Houston with 25 points, but it was Tari Eason’s hustle and determination that was at the heart of this victory. Eason had a career-high 20 points, and 13 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive glass. Tari was a beast on the boards all night, even grabbing four offensive rebounds on a single possession. Eason provided his third straight double-double on Wednesday night. The Rockets managed to survive once again without their starting backcourt, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., once again. KJ Martin finished with 18 points and 7 boards, as he’s slowly becoming the most consistent Rockets player this season. KJ’s evolution from fighting for a rotation spot, to being a key piece of this Houston team, is the best story of this grim season for the Rockets.

Including the victory in Detroit, the Rockets have been playing much harder basketball. Strapped with their hard hats and lunch pails, this team has been playing with an edge unforeseen from the squad this season. Houston even managed to contain one of the NBA’s hottest players, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA was held to 24 points, 6 below his average of 30 a night. The Rockets did a great job of not allowing him to explode for a big game.

Eric Gordon has consistently been a solid veteran presence for this young Rockets squad. With Green and KPJ still out, EG has picked up the scoring slack, as he’s led the team in scoring the past two games. Up next, Houston welcomes the Toronto Raptors to town on Friday night. The Dinos are on on the outside-looking in at the playoffs in the East, but they’re not far from sneaking in. Expect a much tougher game for the Rockets on Friday night.

Rockets Aiming to Build Off Previous Win, Host Thunder

Rested and Ready.    Incoming Storm.    Rising Stars.

Fresh off a rare victory, only their 12th of the season, the Rockets return home to host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. OKC is one of the surprise stories of the season. Most people expected them to be alongside Houston in the Wemby Sweepstakes this summer. Although, the Thunder have surpassed expectations, and sit just outside the final Play-In Spot in the Western Conference. Their improvement is due almost completely to Shai Gilegeous-Alexander, commonly known as “SGA”, who is having a breakout Superstar season. If the Thunder had a winning record, and were higher up in the standings, SGA would be the MVP. Take a look a this OKC roster, and it’s shocking they’re at 24-26 on the season. In my opinion, SGA is more valuable to this Thunder team than any single NBA player is to their team in the entire league. The players who will be participating in the NBA’s Jordan Rising Stars at All-Star Break were announced on Tuesday, and this matchup features five members. For Houston, Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr. were named to the pool of players. OKC’s Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams were selected as contestants. Wednesday’s catchup features a plethora of some of the league’s longest talent. Along with these young players in the Rising Stars game, at age 24, SGA is one of the best young superstars in the NBA. He’s been playing at an MVP-caliber level all season long for the Thunder.

The Rockets are rested and ready. Well, they should be. Houston has had a nice and long three days off since their victory in Detroit over the weekend. The Thunder are coming off a tough loss at home to the Warriors, and sit only a game behind the Utah Jazz for the final Play-In Spot. Alperen Sengun is returning for the Rockets after missing the previous game in Detroit. Kevin Porter Jr. is still without a timetable for a return from his injury. And Jalen Green also remains out for Wednesday’s matchup with a thigh contusion that he suffered in Thursday’s loss to the Cavaliers. Houston will still be undermanned, but the return of Sengun is a good sign. They get a starter and playmaker back. Sengun is the best passer on the team, and if the Rockets run the offense through him, and use Sengun like an offensive hub, they have a great chance to upset the upstart Thunder on Wednesday night.

Houston actually won the first matchup between these teams, 118-105, at Toyota Center, back on November 26th. The Rockets will try and repeat that result as the teams square off in Houston for the final time, followed by two matchups in the near future in OKC before the All-Star Break to close the season series. The squad has had plenty of time off to get over the “Winner’s Hangover” Houston has suffered all season long. The Rockets have struggled mightily to win twice in a row all season. Can the return of Sengun give Houston the jolt they need to upset the Thunder? The squad has a decent chance in what should be an entertaining game featuring a handful of the game’s rising stars.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Oklahoma City Thunder (24-26):  Blue

Houston Rockets (12-38):  Red

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Escape Detroit with Narrow 117-114 Win Over Pistons

Revved Up.    The Lucas Show.    Hustle & Hard Work.

Houston trailed by 3 points entering the final period on Saturday night. After witnessing so many of these close games evolve into blowouts, the Rockets finally broke the trend, and stormed back to win a nail-biter, 117-114, over the Pistons. The win is Houston’s 5th road win of the year, and 12th overall on the season. Coming into Detroit, the Rockets were missing three starters and severely shorthanded. Fortunately, the squad had tremendous performances from Eric Gordon, KJ Martin, and Tari Eason, among others. EG led Houston with 24 points and 7 assists. KJ Martin had some clutch plays in the final minutes to help secure a Rockets victory. K-Mart finished an impressive 15-point, 13-rebound double-double on the evening. Tari Eason also had a double-double, putting together an impressive 16 point, 10-rebound outing. Houston were without arguably their three best players (Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Kevin Porter Jr.) due to injuries, but the squad found ways to get the job done in the Motor City. Many from hustle and hard work ethic. It’s simple, but the Rockets played harder than the Pistons, especially down the stretch, the garner this road victory.

Stephen Silas wasn’t in the building for this game, as he was attending a memorial service for his father, Paul Silas. However, Houston had the right man ready to take the coaching reigns. Another John Lucas Production, another Houston Rockets victory. The Rockets are now 2-0 when Lucas is the Acting Head Coach. They played a last-place Detroit team in their latest win, but they were down three starters, and it was on the road. For some reason, Houston seems to play harder under Lucas. The veteran assistant is the ultimate Players’ Coach, and seems to get more accountability out of this Houston roster than Silas. It’s only a small sample display, but the players sure respond when he’s leading the locker room. I have nothing against Silas, but sooner or later, the Rockets have to win more games when he’s leading the team. Maybe this victory spurs Houston to more wins during the final 32 games of the season.

“I would say 98% of this win cam from hustle and hard work,” Lucas said postgame on Saturday night. And he was exactly right. The Rockets were undermanned, but they competed as hard as we’ve seen all season. If Houston can ignore their record, the win is nice, but the Rockets are still comfortably in last place in the West, with a 12-38 record. They’ll be in the Victor Wembanyama Sweepstakes this summer, but they need to finish the season playing with the effort they displayed in Detroit. Houston won’t win many games regardless, but if they play hard, and truly try and improve as a team, they can potentially win a little over 20 games. 20 victories still keeps the Rockets with one of the worst records in the league, something they’ve all but guaranteed. And 20 wins is a stretch. Houston will have to play much better basketball than they did over their first 50 games of the season to reach 20 victories. It’s possible, and it’s a goal the team should shoot for to keep the players motivated as the season winds down. Up next the Rockets return home for a rare three days off before hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Hopefully, Houston will be seeing the return of some starters by then, as OKC is a much tougher beast than the Pistons. With hustle and hard work, the Rockets have a shot to win two in a row.

Rockets Visit the Motor City for Matchup with Pistons

The Skeleton Crew.    Switching Roles.    Road Revival?

The very-shorthanded Houston Rockets visit the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night in a battle of last place teams in each conference. The Rockets are severely undermanned heading into this Motor City Matchup. Houston will be without their three best players, Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun. KPJ has missed several games now, but Green and Sengun are new additions to the injury report. The Rockets basically have a skeleton crew on their roster as everyone will likely get playing time tonight, and it will be interesting to see who makes up the starting lineup tonight for Houston.

Stephen Silas is out of town at a memorial service for his father Paul Silas, who passed away late last year. That means John Lucas will be taking over the Head Coaching reigns for tonight’s game. The last time Lucas was the Acting Head Coach, the Rockets won a in a triumphant and emotional fashion. Hopefully, they can repeat the same against a Pistons team that is much less talented than the teams Houston has recently faced. The Rockets would love to get a revitalizing win on the road before returning home for a couple of games. Is a road revival in store tonight for Houston?

The highly-touted Cade Cunningham is out for the season for the Pistons. The number one overall pick in Jalen Green’s draft class has had injury issues since he’s entered the league. Regardless, Detroit still has weapons Houston needs to be cautious about. Don’t be surprised is rookie Jalen Duren has a monster night in the paint for the Pistons. After a slow start, Duren is having a breakout rookie season, although he’s rarely talked about due to being on a last-place Detroit squad. Their other rookie, Jaden Ivey, is startling to come into form after a struggling start to his campaign. And Saddiq Bey, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Alec Burks have all had big games against the Rockets in the past. Tonight won’t be easy by any means for Houston, especially with an extremely limited roster. But that also means plenty of minutes for the Goon Squad and the energizers like Jae’Sean Tate. So expect the Rockets to play hard tonight… the question is can they maintain the consistency for four quarters without their Big Three? We’ll find out the answer on Saturday night.

 

Little Caesars Arena:  Detroit, Michigan

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (11-38):  White

Detroit Pistons (13-37):  Teal

 

Tip-Off:  6:00 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Overwhelmed in 113-95 Loss to Cavs

Outmanned.    Defensive Drawing Board.    Transition Problems.

From the opening tip, the Houston Rockets were outplayed on Thursday night. The Rockets trailed by as many as 32 points, eventually falling to the Cavaliers, 113-95,   at Toyota Center. This was Houston’s third game in four nights (all home games). The team is too young to have an excuse for tired legs, but the squad has been without starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr. for a few games now, and his absence is notably affecting the team’s performance. Tari Eason led the Rockets with 18 points off the bench, as he continues to play well since Mario Elie encouraged him on the air after a game a few weeks ago. Jalen Green scored only 6 points in a discouraging performance. KJ Martin and Alperen Sengun scored 14 points apiece, but no one on Houston really had an outstanding game.

Minus Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland led the Cavs with 26 points and 9 assists. Evan Mobley had a stellar game as well, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Cleveland was simply too big for Houston in the pain. Mobley and Jarrett Allen dominated the paint for the Cavs as they cruised to victory over the Rockets.

Houston needs to go back to the defensive drawing board. They didn’t have the best night offensively, but their defense is rarely acceptable. And they gave up more than 110 points once again tonight, a trend that is too common this season in Houston.   The squad also needs to really clean up their transitional play. Poor defense and turnovers are leading to the Rockets getting killed in transition almost on a nightly basis. Up next, Houston travels to the Motor City to battle the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. Detroit has the worst record in the East, so the Rockets should have a better chance than usual to steal a road win this weekend.

Rockets Host Cavaliers to Close Home-Stand

Part 2.    Missing Ingredients.    Back to Basics.    

The Rockets close out their three-game home-stand with a matchup against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers. This is Part 2 of Houston’s only home back-to-back of the season (teams rarely play two days in a row at home during the regular season). The squad’s coming off a tough loss at the hands of the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. Houston was in complete control in the first half, holding a lead of 19 points at one point. However, the second half featured another Rockets collapse, as Kyle Kuzma scored 20 fourth quarter points to rally the Wizards past Houston. The Rockets need to forget about last night, and move forward.

Tonight’s matchup will be more difficult than Wednesday’s. Cleveland currently holds the fifth spot in the East, with a record of 29-20. They are led by the four-headed monster that is Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. Mitchell’s already scored 70 points in a game this season, and all four are potential or former All-Stars. Houston’s defense will be focused primarily on these four players. Mitchell and Garland parade the perimeter, while Allen and Mobley man the paint for the Cavs. Cleveland is coming off a tough two-point loss to the Knicks on Tuesday night. They’ll be hungry, and rested, to try and pounce on these young Rockets tonight. Houston’s in for a tough battle on Thursday night, but they’re capable of finishing the job, something they failed to do last night.

Houston will be missing some key ingredients in tonight’s matchup. Jae’Sean Tate and Eric Gordon are both out for injury management. Expect to see more minutes from Tari Eason, Garrison Mathews, and KJ Martin, who’s been playing spectacular ball lately. Martin’s coming off a solid 16-point, 13-rebound double-double last night. The Rockets will need his high flying dunks to revitalize the Toyota Center crowd, and return some momentum to Houston that the squad felt after Monday’s win. If the squad can focus on refining the basics of the game, they have a chance against a Cavs team that might come in overlooking the Rockets becuase of their record. It won’t be easy in Houston tonight, expect another close game down the stretch… hopefully the Rockets can finish the deal, and return to the winning track.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Cleveland Cavaliers (29-20):  White

Houston Rockets (11-37):  “City Edition” Blue

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Fall Under Second Half Spell in 108-103 Collapse to Wizards

Reversion.    Steph Kuzma.    In the Bag.

Houston held a 15-point halftime lead, and led by as many as 19 points in the first half. But they play two halves for a reason, as the Rockets collapsed in the fourth quarter, as the Wizards stormed back to deal Houston a 108-103 loss on Wednesday night. After their first win of the calendar year, the Rockets reverted to old habits in crunch time, as they lost their 19th game in their last 21 overall contests. Alperen Sengun didn’t disappoint on his bobblehead night. Sengun finished with a triple double, garnering 21 points, 11 boards, 10 dimes, to along with 3 steals and 2 blocks. After the game of his life, Jalen Green failed to reach the 20-point mark, scoring only 19 points on another inefficient shooting performance. In good news, KJ Martin continues to play spectacular ball for Houston. Martin’s movement off-the-ball is arguably the best on the roster. He excels at cutting and finding open lanes for his patented dunks. And KJ is gelling with the Rockets dynamic duo. Of his 8 made field goals, 6 came on assists from either Green or Sengun, a sign of how well the three guys play together.

Despite their second-half meltdown, Houston still probably wins this game if it weren’t for Kyle Kuzma. The Wizards’ forward morphed into Steph Curry, hitting a strain of threes to keep the Rockets at bay in clutch time. Kuzma scored 20 of his 33 points in the final period. Bradley Beal chipped in 17 points for Washington, but the Wiz likely lose this contest without Kuzma’s late heroics.

The Rockets have to put this game in the past, it’s already in the bag, in the history books. It’s time to move on. And Houston won;’t have much time to dwell on Wednesday’s loss, as they host the Cavaliers at Toyota Center on Thursday night. Cleveland is a more talented team than the Wizards, and should prove a tough challenge for these Rockets. It’ll be the second night of a back-to-back… and these young Houston legs should be able to withstand two games in a row.