Blog

Rockets Visit Timberwolves in First of Home-and-Home

Part 1.    Missing Juniors.    Utilizing Sengun.

Today is Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon’s birthday, the greatest player in Houston Rockets franchise history. The legendary center turns 60 today, and Houston would love to get a victory on his milestone birthday. The Rockets head to Minnesota for the first of two games against the Wolves, the second being on Monday night back in Houston. Minnesota has been playing well lately. they’re coming off a comeback win last night over the Raptors, and they’ve won 7 of their last 10 games overall. The Rockets, meanwhile, are still mired in their worst losing streak of the season, which has now reach 12 games. Houston is desperate for a win. Jalen Green is coming off his best performance of the season. Green tied his career-high with 41 points on an efficient shooting night from the floor. He’ll look to replicate that performance in a win tonight for the Rockets in Minnesota.

Houston will be without Jabari Smith Jr. for Saturday night’s contest, and Kevin Porter Jr. is still out with a knee injury. The Rockets will need guys like Tari Eason, who’s expected to make his first career start, KJ Martin, and others to step up and have big games. Lucky for the Rockets, Minnesota isn’t at full strength either. The Wolve have been without Karl-Anthony Towns for roughly a month, and now they’ll be without their other twin tower, Rudy Gobert, for tonight’s matchup.

Expect Alperen Sengun to have a big game tonight minus MInny’s Twin Towers. Sengun will have to contend with the likes of Naz Reid, Jaden MacDaniels, and Kyle Anderson in place of Gobert and Towns. Sengun has been on a roll in the month of January. Don’t expect him to slow his roll tonight, hopefully the Rockets can finally utilize his talents en route to a victory. It’s Hakeem’s birthday night… a perfect time to for Sengun and to channel his “inner-Dream”, and potentially finally end this losing streak.

 

Target Center:  Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (10-35):  White

Minnesota Timberwolves (23-24):  Black

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rocket-Bottom:  Rockets Hit New Low in 122-117 Loss to Hornets

No Weak Side.    Slow Break.    Value the Ball.

Despite Jalen Green’s 41 points, the Rockets still fell victim to another defeat, losing to the Hornets, 122-117, on Wednesday night. Green’s 41 points tied his career-high, and he finally shot the ball well, but Houston suffered another late collapse as the losing streak extends to 13 straight games. Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 26 points. Alperen Sengun had another dominant performance for the Rockets, with a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double. However, as a team, Houston is out of sorts. They led by 7 points at halftime, but the Hornets outscored them by 12 in the second-half, as the Rockets endured arguably their worst performance of the season.

Not only did Houston lead at the end of the second and third quarters, but the Hornets best player, LaMelo Ball, suffered an ankle injury and left the game well before it was over. To make matters worse, Jabari Smith Jr. suffered an ankle sprain for Houston, and will likely miss some time in the near future. At the time this game was played, Charlotte also had the worst record in the NBA besides the Rockets (that honor now belongs to Detroit). Houston had no reason to lose this game. Playing at home, with a lead, against an undermanned Hornets team. This was the worst loss of the season for the Rockets. It’s like they run out of gas at some point during the third period, and everything goes wrong. This trend has now occurred in 5 straight games for Houston.

How can they buck this terrible trend? They really need to improve their defense by playing with more effort. There was hardly any help on the weak side defensively for the Rockets on Wednesday night. If they want to improve their defense, they have to start playing as a team, instead being solely focused on stopping their individual man. Houston has also been a terrible transition team, on both ends of the court. The Rockets desperately needs to start hustling on transition. Charlotte outscored Houston 25-6 on the fast break Wednesday night. The Rockets have missed too many layups and easy baskets near the hoop. If the squad can’t finish the easiest plays, Houston’s in a for a long end to this season. Arguably the worst issue for the Rockets has been their turnover problem. They rank last in the league in turnovers per game, and they lead to so many easy opportunities for the opponent. Up next, Houston aims to break the skid as they head up to Minnesota for the first of two games against the Timberwolves on Saturday night. 

Rockets Host Hornets in Matchup of NBA’s Worst Records

Buzzkill.    Bottom Feeder Battle.    Turn the Lights On.

The Rockets return home on the heels of an 11-game losing streak, losers of 16 of their last 17 games overall, firmly pitting them in last place in the Western Conference. Houston hosts the team with the worst record in the East on Wednesday night, as the Charlotte Hornets come to town. The Rockets are 10-34 on the season, while the Hornets are 11-34 so far this year. This winner of tonight’s matchup will have the better record, pitting the loser firmly in hold of the NBA’s worst record. Charlotte’s main threat is their backcourt, which consists of LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. Both players are capable of scoring 30 or more points on any given night. Houston will need to play better defense than they displayed on their recent road trip if they want to stop the Hornets’ backcourt from torching the Rockets tonight. 

This is by far the Rockets best chance to break their skid for a while. The Hornets are clearly one of the worst teams in the NBA, and Houston needs to take advantage of playing a fellow Bottom Feeder. Hopefully, the team displays the kind of effort they showed in the second half in Los Angeles, but for a full four quarters for once. The Rockets have struggled mightily to put four consistent quarters of efficient basketball together.

After tonight, Houston hits the road for matchup with the Wolves in Minnesota on Friday. It’s a brief stop back home for the Rockets tonight. Fans have to hope playing in the bright lights of the dimmed Lakers’ court and LeBron James inspired these young Rockets to play better basketball. Houston has the talent to beat this Charlotte team. Alperen Sengun is coming off the best game of his life. He’ll look to put Miles Plumlee, P.J. Washington, and other Hornets tonight in the mixer. Stephen Silas should give Sengun more playing time from now on. Unless the big man’s in foul trouble, he needs to be on the court as much as possible. The Rockets offense is clearly a different beast with Sengun on the court… imagine the buzz it would garner if Sengun was utilized efficiently? Expect more Showtime-like action from Sengun tonight as Houston tries to kill their buzzing losing streak.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Charlotte Hornets (11-34):  White

Houston Rockets (10-34):  Black

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Come Up Short, 140-132, Fall to LeBron’s Lakers

Better Effort.    Showtime Sengun.    Learning Lessons.

Compared to the first three games on this road trip, the Rockets actually made their latest loss, 140-132, to the Lakers, a relatively competitive contest for the majority of Monday night. Houston trailed by 12 points at halftime, but then roared back in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 4 points heading into the fourth quarter. Too much LeBron James, who had a season-high 48 points, and Russell Westbrook, who contributed 24 points off the bench, ultimately prevented a Rockets comeback. Alperen Sengun had the game of his life on MLK day. Sengun scored a career-high 33 points on 14-for-17 shooting. Houston’s sensational big man also registered 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 blocks on the evening.

Sengun was unstoppable, even drawing the lure of LeBron James when he had the ball late in the game. The Turkish big man was putting everyone else in the mixer. That’s a huge compliment for Sengun that King James finally decided to guard him when the game was on the line. If only the Rockets would utilize Sengun more often in the offense. This game should be an average game for Sengun, but because he’s rarely used efficiently in Stephen Silas’ offense, this performance is merely an outlier for now, until the coach shows more confidence in him. The secret is already out: Sengun is the best player on this team, at least right now. He almost single-handedly kept Houston within striking distance against the Lake Show. After a slow start, Jalen Green finished with 23 points, but continues searching for consistency with his shot. KJ Martin had 17 points in another stellar outing as a starter, but overall the Rockets were dominated by LeBron and the Lakers late in the clutch when the game was on the line. James had one of his best performances of the year as he made sure Houston’s losing streak didn’t end in his house.

Up next, Houston travels home for one game to host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday before heading on the road again. Hopefully, the Rockets took some learning lessons from LeBron and the LakeShow in the Monday night loss. The Hornets have the worst record in the East, and if the Rockets can beat them, they will move ahead of them in the overall league standings. Regardless, it will be a battle of the NBA’s worst teams record-wise. Wednesday’s game will need to be one for the ages if it wants to draw comparisons to what we witnessed in Hollywood on Monday.

Rockets Visit Lakers in Finale of West Coast Road-Trip

Part 2 in LA.    Aging King.    End of the Road.

The Rockets close their road-trip with a meeting with LeBron James and the Lakers on Monday night. It’s the first matchup between Houston and the Lake Show this season. Both teams played yesterday, with the Lakers losing a nail biter at home to the Philadelphia 76ers. Houston suffered a blowout loss at the hands of the Lakers’ roomates, the Clippers. The Rockets are riding a ten-game losing streak. The Lakers have lost three straight, after running off five straight wins. Jalen Green and Jae’Sean Tate will return from their suspensions tonight. Kevin Porter Jr. is still out with a left knee injury. For Los Angeles, they’ve been without Anthony Davis for a few weeks, and he’ll remain out tonight. Russell Westbrook is now coming off the bench for the Lakers, as they’re desperately trying to dust-off a poor start to their season, given the expectations. The Lakers are currently 19-24, but given the parity in the Western Conference this season, L.A. finds themselves only two games out of the final play-in spot.

Even at age 38, LeBron James is still one of the best players on the planet, and the one of the smartest basketball players on the floor. Aging hasn’t stopped him (yet) from being a force in transition. The Rockets will need to play their best transition defense of the season if they want a chance to upset the Lakers tonight. And that’s asking a lot, considering Houston’s transition defense has been the worst in the league. Hopefully, Sengun sees more minutes against a Lakers team that is weak in the frontcourt without Davis in the lineup.

This is the final game of what has been a miserable road-trip for the Rockets. They’re 0-3 on the trip, with second-half collapses coming in all three games. Houston aims to put four quarters together tonight. They should get a boost with the return of Green and Tate. Hopefully, Daishen Nix doesn’t see 36 minutes of playing time, and the Rockets can have a more efficient performance overall. Houston usually plays well against the Lakers in Los Angeles. Maybe the dimmed lights of the arena formerly known as “Staples Center” will influence Rockets to staple their minds to the game plan… and close this road trip by ending the skid.

 

Crypto.com Arena:  Los Angeles, California

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (10-33):  White

Los Angeles Lakers (19-24):  Yellow

 

Tip-Off:  9:30 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA TV

Rockets Collapse Late Again in 121-100 Loss to Clippers

Rotting on the Vine.    Necessary Conversion.    Staying Put.

Another road game, and the same old story for theses Rockets. Houston collapsed in the fourth quarter, as they fell to the Clippers, 121-100, on Sunday afternoon. The Rockets held a narrow lead at halftime, and trailed by only one point entering the final quarter, but Los Angeles dominated Houston in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Rockets 30-10 in the period. The loss is Houston’s 10th straight, and they’ve now lost 15 of their last 16 games overall. The Rockets are rotting on the vine as struggle to get past the ten-win mark as we’re firmly into the second half of the season.

Terrance Mann led the way for the Clips with a career-high 31 points. Kawhi Leonard added 30 points in his first matchup with Houston this season. Eric Gordon had a season-high 24 points to lead the Rockets, and KJ Martin had another solid performance, adding 22 points as he garnered another start with all of Houston’s missing players. The Rockets gave a valiant effort through three quarters, but as we witnessed in Sacremento, Houston just seems to run out of gas in the second half. The squad plays so hard, as if they exert all their energy in the first two and a half quarters. An NBA game is a marathon, not a sprint, and the Rockets need to start saving some of their energy for later in the contest.

Alperen Sengun had another solid game, as he barely eclipsed the 30-mintute mark despite the undermanned lineup for Houston. I don’t know why, but Stephen Silas has trouble giving Sengun the minutes he deserves. Silas took Sengun out of the game when it was tied 80-80. When Sengun returned to the floor 8 minutes later, the Rockets found themselves staring at a 9-point deficit. If Silas can’t convert to Sengun-ism soon, he has no chance of keeping his seat (which continues to heat) as Houston’s Head Coach. And Daishen Nix, who drew the start at point guard, had a torridly inefficient line in 36 minutes. Nix scored only 1 point, while snagging 1 rebound and 2 assists. He had 4 turnovers and 3 fouls, and he missed both of his shots (two three-pointers). If Nix is going to see more action than Sengun, he needs to produce well above the numbers he put up on Sunday afternoon. The Rockets sorely missed the liked of Jae’Sean Tate, Jalen Green, and Kevin Porter Jr. in the fourth quarter when the game got out of hands.

Up next for Houston, the squad stays put in Los Angeles. The Rockets take on the Lakers in the same building on Monday night. It’s the first matchup between Houston and LeBron’s Lakers this season. Hopefully the Rockets get reinforcements back as they get set to battle King James on Monday night.

Rockets Face Clippers in Sunday Matinee Matchup

Early Birds.    Missing Weapons.    Final Chance.

Houston travels to Los Angeles, for a weekend back-to-back against the L.A. teams this weekend. First, the Rockets take on the Clippers Sunday afternoon, in what will be the final time Houston faces off against Paul George and the Clips this season. The Rockets will then play LeBron James and the Lakers for the first time this season on Monday night. Houston enters Sunday’s game with the Clippers on a 9-game losing streak. The Rockets have lost 14 of their last 15 games overall, as the squad’s really hit the “Dog Days” of the NBA season, albeit earlier than most teams in the league. Houston has the NBA’s worst record, at 10-32, and have all but guaranteed a spot in the NBA’s draft lottery this summer. The Rockets are now playing for pride. They won’t win many games, but should aim to at least top the 20-victory mark. The last time they won, Houston wore black.  The Rockets will be sporting the black jerseys this afternoon, so maybe a little wardrobe magic help the squad break the skid.

On Sunday afternoon, Houston will be playing as shorthanded as they’ve ever been the squad in the Jalen Green Era. During Friday night’s Sacramento Scuffle, mainly between Garrison Mathews and Malik Monk, Jalen Green and Jae’Sean Tate did   temporarily leave the bench, as they were not in the game at the time. Under the NBA rules, that is a suspension, and both players miss Sunday’s game for Houston. The Rockets are still without Kevin Porter Jr. as well, who suffered a left knee contusion early Wednesday night in Sacramento. KPJ is listed as day-to-day on the injury report, but the Rockets won’t have him for sure on Sunday afternoon. Expect to see an interesting array of Houston rotations, as Stephen Silas is playing with a shortened deck against Tye Lue’s Clippers. Los Angeles limps into this game without Paul George, and in a funk themselves. The Clips are 1-7 in their last 8 games. L.A. went 7-2 in the previous 9 games before their struggles started. Sunday’s matchup is a battle between two shorthanded and slumping squads.

This is the Rockets’ final chance to beat the Clips this season. Houston is 0-3 against Los Angeles so far this season. The first matchup was a heartbreaking loss in L.A., as the Rockets collapsed late to lose by only two points. The two games in Houston were both essentially dominated by the Clippers. The Rockets will look to flip that trend in their final chance to take down the Clips. Houston is extremely shorthanded, but L.A. will be without Paul George for the firth straight game. This is the first time the Rockets will get a glimpse of the creator of Load Management himself, Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi missed Houston’s first three games due to injury, rest, or load management. It’s hard to tell with Leonard. Since winning the title with Toronto back in 2019, Kawhi’s missed more games than he’s played, and the Clippers haven’t been the title contender many expended when he came to town. For Sunday’s game, the shorthanded Rockets will have to hope their reservists step up and everyone plays the game of their life, if they want any chance to upset the Clippers in the final matchup this season. 

 

Crypto.com Arena:  Los Angeles, California

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (10-32):  Black

Los Angeles Clippers (22-22):  White

 

Tip-Off:  2:00 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Unravel in Second Half, Fall to Kings, 139-114

Tale of Two Halves.    Early Deja Vu.    Mounting Frustrations.   

Houston fought hard in the first half on Friday night, but the Rockets lost their ninth straight game overall, and second in a row to Kings, 139-114, in Sacramento. This game was truly a tale of two halves. The Rockets were outscored by only 3 points, 69-66, in the first half. However, in the second half Sacramento dominated Houston, outscoring them by 22 points en route to a blowout victory. Harrison Barnes was on fire from beyond the arc, leading the Kings in scoring with 27 points. De’Aaron Fox had 24 points just as he did on Wednesday, and Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double for Sacramento, registering 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 16 assists. Houston was led by Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. in scoring, both players scored 27 points on the night. Just his team’s performance, Green had a the best half of his career over the first two quarters, with 25 of his 27 coming in the first 24 minutes. He only managed 2 points in the second half, as the Rockets were dominated coming out of halftime.

Jabari Smith Jr.’s 27 points are a career-high for Houston’s promising rookie, who also secured 8 boards and 3 blocks, in one of the best games of his early career. Smith Jr. shot over 50%, 11-for-20 from the field on Friday, although he went only 2-for-7 from three-point range. Alperen Sengun registered 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 dimes. No other Rockets player reached double-figures, as Houston was overpowered in the second half. In the first matchup between these teams in Sacramento on Wednesday, the Rockets managed to stay with the Kings, until Sacramento pulled away in the fourth quarter. On Friday night, Houston experienced an earlier version of that deja vu, hanging with the Kings for the first half, before Sacramento punished the Rockets in the second half, turning the game into another blowout.

The loss is Houston’s ninth in a row, and the Rockets are 1-14 in their last 15 games overall. Frustrations are really starting to mount for this young team. Maybe it was seeing the Kings twice in three days, but Garrison Mathews and Malik Monk got into a scuffle that involved both players being ejected from the game. Garry Bird gave Monk an average NBA-shove, which apparently irritated Monk, who then immaturely poked the ball away from Mathews when play was stopped, which initiated the altercation. Houston will now head to Los Angeles for a back-to-back on Sunday and Monday against the Clippers and Lakers respectively. If the Rockets want to avoid reaching a double-digit skid, Houston will need to be ready earlier than usual on Sunday for an early afternoon matinee matchup against the Clippers. 

Rockets Rematch with Kings, Begin Season’s Second Half

A New Half.    Part 2.    Averting the Repeat.

The Rockets begin the second half of the NBA season right where the first half closed: a matchup with the Kings in Sacramento. In one of those oddities in the scheduling, these two squads will play in the same building for the second straight game. Houston slumps into the latter half of the season riding an 8-game losing streak. The Rockets will be without Kevin Porter Jr. tonight, who suffered a knee injury in the first quarter on Wednesday in Sacramento. Houston will need everyone to step up in Scoot’s absence. KJ Martin, coming off one of his best games of the year, will be the primary beneficiary in extra minutes in place of KPJ. Expect Jae’Sean Tate’s minutes to increase as well. Tate’s taken on the role of backup point guard, and could very well run the offense while KPJ is on the sidelines. The severity of Scoot’s injury isn’t known at the moment. It doesn’t appear to be anything serious, but expect KPJ to miss at least a few games in the coming days.

Houston will try and hold on for four quarters tonight, after playing a stellar three out of four quarters on Wednesday night in Part 1 of this matchup. If the Rockets want to win Part 2, they’re going to need smarter play down then stretch. Houston’s biggest weakness all season has been closing games. The Rockets can’t seem to slam the door shut on a team’s winning chances when the game’s on the line. Houston will look to put four efficient and productive quarters together to start the second half of the season.

The Kings will be trudging out the usual suspects the Rockets saw on Wednesday night. Expect Domantas Sabonis to be in line for another double-double, and De’Aaron Fox to one again eclipse the 20-point mark. However, if Houston can keep Sacramento’s All-Star duo from having breakout performances, the Rockets have a chance to pull the upset. Houston also needs to do a better job on Trey Lyles, Keegan Murray, and Harrison Barnes, who all had above-average games and were instrumental in dealing the Rockets a loss in the previous matchup. The Rockets shouldn’t be playing with any pressure over these final 41 games. They have nothing to lose, the squad is firmly a contender in the Victor Wembanyama Sweepstakes this summer. It’s time for Houston to show influential improvement on the court, starting tonight with a victory to close out their second game in Sacramento.

Golden 1 Center:  Sacramento, California

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (10-31):  White

Sacramento Kings (22-18):  Black

 

Tip-Off:  9:00 PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Bow to Kings, 135-115, to Close out Season’s First Half

Halfway Home.    Insult to Injury.    3 for 4.

In Sacramento, Houston led after three quarters but let another game slip away, las they lost to the Kings, 135-115, on Wednesday night. Houston actually started the game on an 8-0 run, and remained competitive throughout three quarters, even managing to secure an edge before the fourth quarter. The Rockets led 95-94 heading into the final period, but ran out of gas once again as the wheels fell off to close the game. Sacramento outscored Houston 41-20 in the fourth quarter, as the Rockets had no answers for Domantas Sabonis or De’Aaron Fox. Sabonis garnered his 18th consecutive double-double, registering 25 points and 14 boards to go along with 9 assists. Sabonis leads the NBA in double-doubles this season, and was a force to reckon with all night for Houston. Fox added 24 points and some crucial late offense as the Kings overpowered the Rockets late in Sac-Town.

Jalen Green led Houston with 26 points, but struggled with his shot, going 9-for-25 from the floor. Alperen Sengun had the first triple-double of his career, registering a triple-10 with 10 points, rebounds, and assists apiece. Eric Gordon chipped in 19 points, and KJ Martin continues to be the Sixth Man for the Rockets, as he scored 21 points, on another efficient shooting night. Martin entered the game with dunks on three consecutive Houston possessions, and scored 9 first quarter points to lead all players. Martin is having a breakout season in his own right, and will have an opportunity to display more of his extreme talent and athleticism at the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest over All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah. Expect KJ to be a sleeper pick to win the Dunk Contest. It’ll give Martin a wider audience than usual, as Rocket games are basically never nationally televised this season. Look at Houston’s collapse on Wednesday nights and their overall record (10-31), for examples why they’re almost never on national TV this year.

Houston has struggled mightily, whether it’s starting or ending the game, to put four quarters together. They need to translate the hard effort they put into three quarters into four quarters, or this Rockets team is going to suffer more collapses in the second half than anticipated. The squad needs to focus on not taking their foot off the gas. Once Houston has the lead, they get too complacent. And if they have a bad start, they’ll often make a valiant comeback effort, but it’s usually too little too late. The Rockets need to realize the value of all four quarters, they can’t settle for three great quarters. Houston needs to play hard the entirety of an NBA basketball game. An element sorely lacking in the Rockets’ mantra at the moment.

To add insult to injury, the Rockets lost Kevin Porter Jr. to an injury late in the first quarter. The severity of the injury isn’t known at this point, but Scoot reportedly suffered a left knee contusion, and could miss several games. Expect Martin to be the primary beneficiary of those extra minutes if KPJ does indeed miss extended time. Hopefully, Scoot can return to the court soon, as KPJ has been Houston’s most consistent player over the first half of this season. Regardless, it will give Martin at least more chances to show the NBA world why he’s one of the best young role players in the league.

The Rockets are now officially halfway through their season. Houston boasts a 10-31 record at the midway point, good for the worst record in the entire league. The squad is aiming for a more consistent second-half of the season, that hopefully will show improvement over what was a miserable first half. The squad begins the second half of the season facing these same Kings one more time in Sacramento on Friday night. It’s hard to beat the same team twice in the NBA… can the Rockets prove that statement’s merit this weekend? Tune in on Friday night, as Houston begins the second half of the season.