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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.

Rockets Aim to Snap Skid in Return Home, Host Knicks

Home to the Rescue.    Big Return.    Perimeter Defense.

Coming off an empty road trip, which saw the Rockets lose a season-high four straight games, Houston returns home to Toyota Center to host the New York Knicks on Monday night. The Rockets are a respectable 18-9 at home, compared to an embarrassing 5-20 on the road. And this Knicks team is heavily injured at the moment. All-Star Julius Randle and new-addition O.G. Anunoby are both out with injuries for tonight’s contest.

Alperen Sengun returns to the lineup for Houston after missing his first game of the season in the previous loss to Atlanta. Sengun should have his hands full battling Isaiah Hartenstein and Precious Achiuwa in the paint. The two bigs for New York are two of the league’s more underrated role players. The Knicks have been on a roll, but with their recent injuries they’ve struggled lately, losing three of their past four games. Houston needs to take advantage of a limping New York squad tonight, and put the Knicks away early by getting off to a fast start. They’ll have to put four quarters together to get the victory tonight, something we haven’t seen from the Rockets in several games.

All season, Houston has performed much better at home, as evidenced by their record at Toyota Center. They shoot the three-point shot with more confidence and efficiency and also play harder defense at home. Expect the Rockets to be fired up by the home fans as they return to the friendly confines of Toyota Center, aiming to snap a season-high four-game skid.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

New York Knicks (33-20):  Blue

Houston Rockets (23-29):  Red

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Empty Trip:  Rockets Fall Short in 122-113 Loss to Hawks

Jekyll and Hyde.    Second Quarter Slump.    Three Point Key.

The Rockets closed their road tip with a 122-113 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. Houston is now in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Dejounte Murray paced the Hawks with 32 points, while Trae Young contributed 18 points for Atlanta. Saddiq Bey and Jalen Johnson combined to score 45 points to torch Houston. Contrary to previous games in this road trip, the Rockets actually held a comfortable 12-point lead after the first period, but they were outscored by 20 points in the second quarter, as the Hawks seized control of the game, ending the first half on a 26-11 run. Jalen Green’s first career triple-double was spoiled in the defeat. Green finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists on the evening. Jeff Green scored a season-high 19 points for Houston, and Aaron Holiday added 18 points on a night that saw contributions across the board from the Rockets’ roster. Amen Thompson had another double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Alperen Sengun’s absence was sorely felt in the first game he missed all season. Sengun is expected to return for Houston’s next game on Monday.

The Jekyll and Hyde Rockets will now return home to Toyota Center to host the Knicks before traveling to face the Grizzlies in the final two games before the All-Star Break. Houston is now a dismal 5-20 on the road, compared to 18-9 at home. Hopefully a return home can get the Rockets back on the winning track. The Knicks are heavily injured, and Houston should have a solid chance to snap their four game skid on Monday night.

A major factor into why the Rockets play so differently at home compared to the road, is the three-point shot. Specifically, the way they shoot the three and defend the opposing team on the perimeter. Opponents are shooting lights out from beyond the arc when Houston plays on the road. And the Rockets are struggling mightily to make threes away from home. At Toyota Center, Houston has been a different team on the perimeter, shooting the ball more efficiently mixed with an intensity upgrade on the defensive end. If the Rockets can revert to this formula, they should be able to put this road trip behind them… and pull off a win in their return home on Monday night.

Rockets Visit Hawks to Finish Road Trip

Last Stop.    Bruised and Battered.    Better Start.

The Rockets make their fourth and final stop on this road trip as they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. The Hawks are coming off an impressive road win over the Sixers in Philly in their previous game. Houston is trying to snap a three-game skid, as they enter State Farm Arena desperate for a road win. Atlanta won the first matchup between these teams, 134-127, back on December 20th in Houston. The Rockets are seeking revenge tonight, but it won’t be easy.

Houston limps into this matchup, as they have a heavily injured roster coming into tonight’s tilt. Alperen Sengun will miss his first game of the season with a back injury. Cam Whitmore is out with a sprained ankle. Fred VanVleet remains out with an adductor strain, and Tari Eason remains out with his leg injury. Those are four incredibly important pieces of this Rockets squad. While they’ve been without Eason for a while, and without FVV for the last couple of games, the losses of Sengun and Whitmore are huge for Houston as they desperately try and fix their road woes.

The Rockets need a better start if they want any chance to pull out a victory with a short-handed team tonight. Trae Young and DeJounte Murray and once again the biggest defensive threats for Atlanta. Jalen Johnson has been having a breakout season in his third year in the league, and forward Saddiq Bey has recently shown consistency and rounded into form. Houston has to pray their shots are falling tonight, and hopefully Atlanta is tired as they also had a game last night. Due to the injuries, the Rockets are big underdogs tonight, but these are the types of weird games this team could win in a season that’s been oddly inconsistent.

 

State Farm Arena:  Atlanta, Georgia

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (23-28):  Black

Atlanta Hawks (23-29):  Red

 

Tip-Off:  6:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Furious Rally Falls Short in 107-104 Loss to Raptors

Sleepwalking.    No Cigar.    Back At It.

Houston rallied from a 22-point deficit, but the squad once again came up short, as the Rockets fell to the Raptors, 107-104, on Friday night. The “New Raptors”, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley combined for 46 points to torch Houston. Dillon Brooks led the Rockets with 20 points in his return to Canada. Cam Whitmore scored 17 points off the bench, however the rookie suffered a sprained ankle and didn’t return to the game. Aleperen Sengun and Jalen Green had their worst games of the season, scoring only 7 points each.

It’s becoming an embarrassing trend. Houston is not coming out ready to play. Whether it’s right after tip-off, or coming out of the halftime break, the Rockets have struggled playing out of the gate. They made a great comeback attempt in Toronto, but came up short, close with no cigar. And Coach Ime Udoka isn’t afraid to play whoever is deserving of minutes. Houston’s bench got them back in the game, and they were on the court mainly in crunch time. The team as a whole has to figure out how to play hard for four quarters, especially the starting unit.

The Rockets now head to Atlanta on Saturday night to finish this four-game road trip. Houston is currently 0-3 on this journey away from Toyota Center, now holding an embarrassing 5-19 road record. Hopefully, the Rockets can get back on track in Atlanta. They haven’t played well in the second half of back-to-backs this season, but maybe that will change against a Hawks team that mirrors this Rockets team in terms of their inconsistency. Regardless, Houston is now 23-28 on the season, and desperately trying to stay in the Play-In race out West.

Rockets Head North for Final Battle with Raptors

Border Skirmish.    Steady Without Freddy.    Must-Win?

The Rockets and Raptors meet for the second time in eight days on Friday night as Houston continues their road-trip in Toronto. Since losing to the Rockets last Friday, the Raptors have gone 1-2, with a victory over the lowly Hornets in their previous game, before losses to the Pelicans and Thunder. Houston, meanwhile, has gone 0-2, starting this road trip with losses to the Timberwolves and the Pacers. The squad will look to get back on track against a Raptors team that was active before the February 8th trade deadline. Toronto dealt point guard Dennis Schroder to the Nets, and after waiving Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie, are reportedly receiving Utah’s Kelly Olynyk. Regardless, the Dinos are in full-rebuild mode, and this Rockets team is desperate to improve their performance on the road. Houston won the first matchup last Friday in a 135-106 beatdown at Toyota Center.

One major key factor has changed since the Rockets last victory, their previous win over Toronto. Ex-Raptor Fred VanVleet suffered an injury in Minnesota, and didn’t play against Indiana. He won’t be available to face his former team on Friday night, as the Rockets will be without their starting point guard for an unspecified amount of time. They performed better than expected without FVV in Indy, they just fell apart in the third quarter and the clutch. Had a healthy VanVleet been on the court, Houston would’ve likely won that game. For now, the Rockets will have to wade the waters the best they can without their floor leader.

Even with FVV on the sidelines, Houston should still beat this Toronto squad tonight. The Rockets came up just short in Indiana, showing improved effort compared to their dismal performance to start the road trip in Minnesota. Tonight’s matchup is by far the easiest on this four-game trip for Houston. It’s not a must-win game tonight, but the result will reveal a lot about this Rockets team, and their future this season. The squad is currently 23-27, good for 12th place in the West. Houston is 1.5 games behind Golden State and Utah for the final Play-In spot. The squad is 50 games into the season, and every one of these last 32 games count if the Rockets want a chance to sneak into the playoffs.

 

Scotiabank Arena:  Toronto, Canada

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (23-26):  White

Toronto Raptors (17-33):  Black

 

Tip-Off:  6:30 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Lose Steam in Indy, Fall to Pacers, 132-129

All for Naught.    Third Quarter Misery.    Losing Pace.

Houston’s road woes continued, as the Rockets fell to the Indiana Pacers, 132-129, on Tuesday night. Pascal Siakam led Indy with 29 points, Myles Turner added 21 points, and Tyrese Haliburton had 18 points including a clutch dagger that sealed the game for the Pacers. Houston actually led this game by 7 points at halftime, but another dreadful third quarter gave Indy control of the game. The Pacers outscored the Rockets 38-24 in the third quarter, and while Jalen Green scored 12 of his team-leading 30 points to fuel a fourth quarter run, but it was all for naught, as Houston lost once again on the road.

All the Rockets’ starters scored at least 13 points. Jabari Smith Jr. bounced back from his worst game of the season with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Alperen Sengun had another well-rounded game, registering 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. And Amen Thompson almost single-handedly brought the Rockets within the lead with his hustle and defense late in the contest. Thompson finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks in one of the best games of his career so far.

Houston is now 5-18 on the road, and while they’re schedule has been tough, things will ease up a bit as the Rockets close out their road-trip. The squad has two days off before traveling north of the border to face the Raptors on Friday night. Afterwards, Houston will fly to Atlanta to battle the Hawks on Saturday night. Toronto is in full-rebuilding mode, and the Rockets should be able to beat the Raptors once again, especially after two days off. Atlanta is in tenth place in the East, and with a losing record, the Hawks have underperformed this season. If Houston wants to avoid losing pace in the standings, they need to win these next couple of games.

The Rockets are now 12th place in the West, behind the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz for the 10th and final Play-In spot. If Houston’s road woes continue this weekend, their hopes of sneaking into the playoffs will be slim at best. Expect the Rockets to be ready to finally get a road win when they play their lone game in Canada on Friday night.