Rockets vs. Timberwolves Pre-Game 2/6/25

Rockets Urgently Seeking Victory, Battle Timberwolves

Round Three.    Desperation Mode.    Missing FVV.

 

On Thursday night, the Rockets limp into Minnesota for their third matchup with the Timberwolves. Houston and Minnesota have split the season series so far, with the road team winning both of the previous games in thrilling fashion. The Rockets enter this contest in a slump, riding a season-high four game losing streak. And Houston is coming off arguably their most heartbreaking loss of the season in game they gifted to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night. The Wolves are coming off a blowout win over the Chicago Bulls at home last night, so at least the Rockets will have the rest advantage tonight.

Anthony Edwards scored a career-high 49 points in Minnesota’s win last night, and he was huge factor in the Wolves win in Houston in the second meeting between these squads. Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, and other Rockets will need to keep Edwards from scoring 30 points. If Ant-Man reaches that mark, Minnesota’s usually victorious. Fred VanVleet remains out for tonight’s matchup, as he will miss his third straight game due to an ankle injury. Steven Adams is also listed as doubt for Houston entering this contest.

Despite their stunning loss in Brooklyn, there was a pinch of good news for the Rockets. After missing two games with a calf injury, Alperen Sengun returned to score 24 points and grab 20 rebounds in a dominant performance. Houston needs more players to step up tonight if they want to beat a Minnesota team that’s rising in the standings. The Wolves are currently in seventh place in the Western Conference, and only a half game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the sixth spot.

Meanwhile, if Houston keeps losing, the Rockets are in jeopardy of falling from the third spot all the way to possibly even out of playoff contention. With 32 games remaining, there’s still a lot of basketball to be played. And the West is brutally competitive, with eleven, or twelve (if you count the San Antonio Spurs, who are on the fringe) teams battling for ten playoff or play-in spots. 

Tonight will reveal the caliber of Houston’s mental toughness. The Rockets need to wash the previous game out of their memory, and move forward. As with most game during what’s been a very exciting season, expect another thrilling contest of Houston Rockets basketball tonight, as the squad aims to snap their losing streak against a rising conference foe.

 

Target Center:  Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (32-18):  Red

Minnesota Timberwolves (28-23):  Gray

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets vs. Nets Post-Game 2/4/25

Rockets Suffer Shocking Collapse, Fall to Nets, 99-97, in Final Seconds

Kamikaze.    Seismic Shift.    Darkness Falls.     

No one saw this coming. Despite leading by five points with ten seconds in the game, the Rockets collapsed in the final seconds, losing to the Nets, 99-97, on Saturday night. Houston seemed like they had this game won until an errant inbounds pass from Amen Thompson bounced out to Brooklyn’s D’Angelo Russell, who hit a go-ahead three-pointer with a few seconds left to seal the win for the Nets. Keon Johnson led Brooklyn’s scoring attack with 22 points in a winning effort.

The Rockets have suffered some heartbreaking losses this season, but none were on the level of this defeat. Houston utterly shot themselves in the foot, and gifted this game to Brooklyn. And they spoiled a very solid bounce back performance from Aleperen Sengun, who returned from a two-game injury absence to register 24 points and 20 rebounds in the loss. Reed Sheppard also had the best game of his young career. The rookie scored 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in a career-high 28 minutes of action. Sheppard needs more games like this if he wants any chance of seeing playing time when the Rockets are fully healthy. Houston’s rookie has been a disappointment this season, whether people want to admit it or not. It was nice to see Sheppard finally have something slightly resembling a good performance on the basketball court.

With the defeat, the Rockets are now sliding in the wrong direction, riding a season-high four game losing streak. And with this loss, it feels as if a seismic shift has happens. That the good times for Houston may be over. Hopefully I’m wrong, but the road trip only gets tougher. The Rockets were supposed to win at least one, if not both of these recent games with Brooklyn, yet both ended with disappointing results.

This losing streak the Rockets are currently mired in has pushed them down to third place out West, and only a mere one game in the loss column ahead the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. After their tremendous play on the previous road trip, no one expected Houston to struggle like they have recently, losing all three of their final matches to the Big Apple area squads. For the first time all year, it feels like darkness has truly fallen on the Rockets season.

Up next on this four game road trip, Houston will try and snap their skid as they visit Minnesota to battle the Timberwolves. The Wolves have been heating up lately, and have climbed up to the seventh spot in the Western Conference. If the Rockets want to avoid falling farther down the West standings, they’ll need a bounce-back performance against the Wolves on Thursday night.

Rockets vs. Nets Pre-Game 2/4/25

Rockets Aim to Snap Skid in Matchup with Nets

Across the Bridge.    Brooklyn Payback.    Goodbye, NY.


The Rockets finish their New York two-step with a visit across the Brooklyn Bridge to battle the Nets on Tuesday night. Brooklyn won the first matchup between these teams, 110-98, back in Houston on Saturday night. The Nets haven’t played since that game, with two days of fresh legs for their players. Meanwhile, the Rockets are coming off a tough loss against the New York Knicks last night (Monday). Despite Brooklyn’s rest advantage, it’s tough to beat the same team in a row twice in the NBA, and the Rockets are playing with more intensity since their loss to the Nets in the first meeting a few days ago.

Houston is riding a three game losing streak for the first time all season entering this contest. Fred VanVleet will miss his second straight game tonight, but Alperen Sengun is listed as probable. After playing every game of the season, Al-P has missed the last couple matches, and the Rockets are 0-2 without Sengun in the lineup this season. Regardless if their All-Star center plays tonight, the Rockets should win this game. Expect Ime Udoka to have Houston fired up and hungry for revenge, after an embarrassing outing in a losing effort to these Nets on Saturday night at home.

This is the third straight game the Rockets are playing a New York area team. And it’s the last time they’ll play the Nets or Knicks until next season, unless the Rockets and Knicks meet in the NBA Finals (which is possible, but not likely). Despite playing the second half of a back-to-back, look for Houston to play with more energy than they did against the Nets in the first matchup. The Rockets have shown they’re actually a better team on the road, compared to playing at Toyota Center back home this season.

Houston has no excuses to lose this game tonight. And this Rockets team should never lose four straight games. As long as they didn’t go out partying in the Big Apple last night, the squad should be in line for a victory in this matchup. Expect Houston’s skid to end tonight, as the Rockets should be ready to channel their road-warrior mindset and beat a very bad Brooklyn Nets team.

 

Barclays Center:  Brooklyn, New York

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (32-17):  Red

Brooklyn Nets (16-33):  Black

 

Tip-Off:  6:30 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets vs. Knicks Post-Game 2/3/25

Rockets Falter Late in 124-118 Loss to Knicks

Improved Effort.    Dog Days.    Skidding.

Despite an overall improved effort from Houston, and an eleven point cushion entering the fourth quarter, the Rockets still managed to fall to the Knicks, 124-118, at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. After a quiet first half where he scored only 13 points, Jalen Brunson exploded in the second half to lead New York’s rally, finishing with 42 points and 10 assists for the Knicks. Houston’s Amen Thompson had his third triple-double of the season, scoring 25 points, grabbing 11 boards, and dishing out 11 assists to lead the Rockets.

Even in their victories, Houston has the bad habit of letting teams back into games after holding a big lead. Sometimes the Rockets hang on to win, but that wasn’t the case against the Knicks. The squad played well missing three key rotational players (Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, and Jabari Smith Jr.), but it still wasn’t enough to beat one of the beasts of the Eastern Conference. New York is slightly behind the Boston Celtics for the second seed out East. And the Rockets are now one  game in the loss column behind the Memphis Grizzlies for second place in the Western Conference.

For the first time all season, Houston has lost three consecutive games, and finds themselves mired in a true losing streak. This time of the NBA season is considered the NBA’s “Dog Days,” when teams often hit a wall. It seems like the Rockets are experiencing the dog days with a bad mixture of significant injuries. However, Houston has a great chance to break the skid in their next game against the Nets, who beat the Rockets on Saturday night at Toyota Center back in Houston. It’s not known if VanVleet or Sengun will return for Tuesday night’s contest in Brooklyn. And Smith Jr. still doesn’t have a return date, but it’s appearing he’s progressing, and should hopefully be back on the court in roughly a month.

The Rockets need to put this game behind them, and move on to get revenge on a much worse Nets team. Brooklyn should’ve never beaten Houston in the first matchup on Saturday. The Rockets beat themselves, and were never ready or prepared to play upon the opening tip. Houston’s effort was much better in the Garden on Monday night. They’ll need to carry that energy across the Brooklyn Bridge as they prepare to face the Nets in the second game of this New York double-head on Tuesday night.

Rockets vs. Knicks Pre-Game 2/3/25

Rockets Hit the Big Apple for Matchup with Knicks

Second Road Quartet.    New York, New York.    Missing Quarterback.

The Rockets begin another four game road trip as they visit the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, to face the New York Knicks on Monday night. It’s the first of a Big Apple Doubleheader for Houston, as they’ll play Nets in Brooklyn tomorrow night. Houston is coming off their worst loss in the season, a disappointing 110-98 loss at home to those pesky Nets. The Knicks are coming off a home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. So both teams enter tonight’s matchup hungry for a win.

After injuring his right ankle in Saturday’s loss to the Nets, Fred VanVleet will miss tonight’s game against the Knicks. And after missing the last two games, both Houston losses, Alperen Sengun is considered questionable entering tonight’s matchup. The Rockets haven’t lost three games in a row all season long, as they try and re-focus against a tough Knicks team tonight.

It’s hard for Houston to play with less effort than they did in their ugly defeat on Saturday. Expect the Rockets to be ready to play with their usual intensity on defense and hustle coming out of the gates. However, without their quarterback and floor leader in VanVleet, it’s going to be very tough to beat one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams in their house. Hopefully, Sengun will be able to make his return to action tonight. Otherwise, Houston has a high mountain to climb if they want to win this game.

New York Head Coach Tom Thibodeau always has his Knicks playing hard. Besides All-Star Starters Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, New York has O.G. Anunoby, Josh Hart, and others to wreak havoc on the court. Houston will need the Stay Ready Crew, and everyone in the lineup to step up their games tonight if they want to pull off the upset. Expect a more spirited game than the Rockets’ sleepwalking effort on Saturday night.

The difference in the game just may be Sengun’s availability. Houston won the first matchup between these squads, 109-97, back in H-Town on November 4th. Sengun led the way for the Rockets in that win with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Houston is praying for their All-Star’s return as they prepare to battle the Knicks at MSG on Monday night.

 

Madison Square Garden:  New York City, New York

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (32-16):  Red

New York Knicks (32-17):  White

 

Tip-Off:  6:30 PM CT

TV:  NBA TV,  Space City Home Network

Rockets vs. Nets Post-Game 2/1/25

Rockets Lay an Egg in Ugly 110-98 Loss to Nets

Home Sleeping.    Insult to Injury.    Shamstunner.

Houston returned home to sleep in their beds, and didn’t seem to shake the sleepiness, as the Rockets lost to the lowly Nets, 110-98 on Saturday night. It’s one of Houston’s most disappointing losses of the entire season. The Rockets simply weren’t ready to play tonight. Brooklyn outplayed Houston from the opening tip. In a winning effort, Zaire Williams scored 21 points to lead the Nets, and D’Angelo Russell scored 18 points to help Brooklyn maintain a lead throughout the contest.

To add insult to injury, Fred VanVleet suffered a right ankle injury late in the first half, and didn’t return to the game. His absence wasn’t the reason the Rockets lost, they hadn’t played well then entire game. Although Houston’s deficit was only 5 points when FVV exited the contest. After that, the Nets ballooned the lead and the Rockets never threatened to make the game interesting. In a stat-padding performance, Jalen Green scored 29 points to lead Houston.

The Rockets are now 0-2 this season without their All-Star center Alperen Sengun. Houston begins another four-game road trip on Monday night, starting with a matchup in the Big Apple against the Knicks. Hopefully Sengun can return soon, as his injury isn’t expected to be serious.

Roughly an hour and a half after this game ended, news broke that shocked the NBA, and sports world. NBA Senior Insider Shams Charania dropped a Shams-stunner of a tweet, when he reported the Mavericks were trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. Jimmy Butler’s displeasure in Miami with the Heat has dominated NBA trade talks for weeks. No one saw this Luka/AD trade coming. It’s the biggest and most shocking deal in NBA history. It’s also the first time in league history two All-NBA players were traded midseason. How does the deal impact the Rockets? Well, basically, the Mavericks won’t be as good in the future, and the Lakers will be a potential threat this season.

For now, Houston needs to shake off this tough loss at home, and prepare for another four game road trip. Contrary to last season, the Rockets have played better on the road than they have at home this campaign. Expect the squad to get back on track starting with a double-dose of New York City, as Houston will play the Knicks on Monday, and then these same Nets on Tuesday night.

Rockets vs. Nets Pre-Game 2/1/25

Rockets Make Brief Home Stop to Host Nets

Middle Home Stop.    New York Triage.    All-Star Questions.

Amidst this road-heavy stretch of the schedule for Houston, the Rockets return home to host the reeling Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. This matchup at Toyota Center is pitted in between to lengthy road trips for Houston. After tonight’s game, the Rockets will head back on the road for another four game trip. Houston is coming off a tough one point loss, 120-119, to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. The squad was still able to go an impressive 3-1 against elite competition (excluding the Atlanta Hawks). The Rockets aim to bounce back against a much weaker Nets team back at home.

Brooklyn won it’s last game, over lowly Charlotte Hornets. However before that win, the Nets had lost twelve of their previous thirteen games. Brooklyn is certainly not playoff bound. Their best player is De’Angelo Russell, and they don’t have much to offer talent-wise. Houston should win this game in blowout fashion. Especially with a four game road trip on the horizon. Tonight’s game is also the first of three straight against New York area teams. Houston’s first two games on their upcoming road trip are against the Knicks and then these same Nets.

Newly-minted All-Star Alperen Sengun didn’t play in Thursday’s loss in Memphis. It’s the first game he’s missed all season long for Houston, and he’s in jeopardy of missing tonight’s contest as well with a calf injury. Jalen Green should feel snubbed he wasn’t named an All-Star. Can Green, Amen Thompson, and others step up to fill Sengun’s void? They should be able to take care of a bad Brooklyn team as long as they say focused, and treat the Nets like a top-tier caliber opponent. Ben Simmons comes off the bench now for Brooklyn, and for some reason, tonight feels like game where he might be a factor.

Head Coach Ime Udoka’s done a fantastic job all season, and he should have the Rockets ready to return to the winning track on Saturday night. Tonight is the easiest victory availble for the Rockets before the All-Star break, and they need to take advanatge of a very winnable contest. It’s a brief home stop for Houston… expect the Rockets to care of business against these inferior Nets before the going gets tougher on the road again.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Brooklyn Nets (15-33):  White

Houston Rockets (32-15):  Black

 

Tip-Off:  7:00PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets vs. Grizzlies Post-Game 1/30/25

Rockets Crumble Late in 120-119 Loss to Grizzlies

Choke Job.    All-Sengun.    Too Bright?

Houston led by ten points at halftime, but Memphis slowly rallied in the second half, as the Rockets lost to the Grizzlies, 120-119, in a thriller on Thursday night. Dillon Brooks said after the game, “we should’ve blown them out,” and it did feel that way. Despite not having Alperen Sengun due to injury for the first time all season, Houston fought with Memphis all the way to the end. To make this affair even, Ja Morant didn’t play for the Grizzlies, as he’s dealing with an injury issue as well. As he’s done all season against the Rockets, Desmond Bane was tremendous, leading Memphis with 24 points. Luke Kennard found a hot streak to add 22 points, and Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 21 points in the win for the Grizz.

In a losing effort, Jalen Green led the Rockets with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Dillon “The Villain” Brooks scored 22 points against his former team, and Amen Thompson added 21 points for Houston. Starting in place of the injured Sengun, Steven Adams had one of his best games of the season. Adams scored 11 points, grabbed 10 boards, and had 3 assists in 23 minutes. Tari Eason had a solid double-double, scoring 13 points to go with 12 rebounds, and Fred VanVleet contributed 13 points in the loss. FVV had some questionable shots taken near the end of the game. The ball should’ve been in Jalen Green or Amen Thompson’s hands, or VanVleet should’ve run a play instead of basically bricking the Rockets out of a chance for victory.

Despite the loss, Houston owns the tiebreaker with Memphis, having won the the three prior games this season before Thursday’s loss. The Rockets are now only one game in the loss column (32-15) ahead of the Grizzlies (32-16) in the brutally tough Western Conference. And with this loss to Memphis, Houston is now 0-3 on national television this season, with all games coming on the road and on the network TNT. Granted, the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was in Las Vegas for the NBA Cup Semifinal, but if it’s not in H-Town, consider it a road game. The other national loss came against the Sacramento Kings, a respectable team, despite them seeming to want to break up the roster now by putting their star De’Andre Fox on the trade marker. Is the spotlight of national tv too bright for this Rockets team? No. All these losses were close games (except against the juggernaut that is the OKC Thunder).

Houston’s next chance to play on national tv (barring league schedule changes among televised games) will be in the playoffs. For now, the Rockets need to keep charging along and see if they can maintain hold on the second seed in the West. In good news, Alperen Sengun was named an NBA All-Star, and deservedly so, for the first time in his career. He joins one of seven Western Conference All-Star reserves who will be heading to San Francisco on Valentine’s Day weekend for the big event. Up next, Houston makes a brief stop home to host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night before heading back on the road for another four-game trip.

Rockets vs. Grizzlies Pre-Game 1/30/25

Rockets Aim to Sweep Grizzlies in National Showdown

Sweepstakes.    Strive for Five.    End of the Road.

Tonight, the Rockets get a rare opportunity to shine in the national spotlight. Houston rolls into Memphis on Thursday night riding a four-game winning streak, including impressive wins over Cleveland and Boston. The Grizzlies had their own six-game win streak snapped in their previous game, a blowout loss to the New York Knicks. The Rockets won the first matchup against the Grizz in a beatdown, but the last two games were close, with Houston winning both by a combined six points. Therefore, the Rockets are looking for a very impressive sweep of the season series over the Grizzlies if they can pull out the win in Memphis tonight. This game also marks the end of a four game road trip for Houston. So far the Rockets are 3-0 on this trip, and can make it a perfect journey with a win in the national spotlight on Thursday night. And after this game, Houston’s schedule for the remainder of the season eases up significantly.

Regardless of tonight’s outcome, the Rockets hold the tiebreaker, having won three of the four matchups already. The Grizz are still only two games behind Houston in the loss column for second place in the Western Conference. With a win tonight, the Rockets can stretch a three game lead over them and the rest of the pack out West (excluding the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder). Houston wants to win every game in Memphis for Dillon Brooks, who never wants to lose to his former team again.


Today is also Amen Thompson’s birthday. The most-talked about Rockets player over the last week turns 22 years old on Thursday. After two extremely impressive games in victories in Cleveland and Boston, Twin had a quieter night in Atlanta, but his services weren’t needed as much. Tonight, against a much better Grizzlies team, expect Thompson to shine in the national spotlight, as the Rockets play only their third nationally televised game so far this season. Jalen Green has also excelled against Memphis this season, scoring a season-high 42 points in one of their wins over the Grizz earlier this month.

It’s hard to beat a team four times in a single season, and that’s what Houston can very much accomplish tonight. There are two huge questions lingering before tip-off approaches. Alperen Sengun is questionable for the Rockets, and Ja Morant is questionable for the Grizzlies. Both players are huge pieces to their teams, Morant obviously the best player on Memphis, and Sengun the most-likely player on Houston to be named an All-Star. If either doesn’t play it certainly will impact tonight’s matchup. But these Rockets have shown they’re deep enough and driven enough to win no matter who’s able to suit up for their team. And with The Villain facing his former team in Memphis again, expect Houston to be ready for a physical, feisty battle. Expect another close and heated contest tonight as the Rockets tries for a rare sweep over the Grizzlies in front of a national audience.

 

FedExForum:  Memphis, Tennessee

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (32-14):  Black

Memphis Grizzlies (31-16):  White

 

Tip-Off:  8:30 PM CT

TV:  TNT

Rockets vs. Hawks Post-Game 1/28/25

Rockets Fend-Off Hawks, 100-96, for 4th Straight Win

Houston’s Iron Man.    Tate the Great.    Staying the Course.

Despite allowing Atlanta to rally back and make this a close game, the Rockets managed to fend-off the Hawks for a 100-96 victory on Tuesday night. The win is Houston’s fourth straight in this impressive stretch of play where the squad has taken care of business during one of the toughest portions of their season’s schedule. Trae Young scored 21 points to lead the Atlanta, and De’Andre Hunter chipped in 16 points, but thankfully missed a wide open potential go-ahead three pointer in the final seconds.

After two subpar performances, Jalen Green led the Rockets with 25 points, although he shot only 1-for-9 from beyond the arc. Alperen Sengun posted another double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 boards. Amen Thompson had a quieter offensive night compared to his last few games, scoring 11 points, but Twin was still a huge factor on defense and in transition. Jae’Sean Tate scored a season-high 16 points in 25 minutes off the bench, proving the true depth of this Houston squad. For those who remember the days when Tate was a starter for the Rockets, he can still show he can produce when given the playing time. It’s a true luxury to have a player of Tate’s professionalism on this team. When Houston’s fully healthy, he likely doesn’t play, or will see a few garage time minutes. But the longest-tenured Rockets player is always ready, as Tate is the heart and soul of the “Stay Ready Crew,” which also features the likes of Aaron Holiday, Jock Landale, and Jeff Green.

Besides leading Houston in scoring, Tuesday’s game marked Jalen Green’s 150th consecutive start for the Rockets. He’s truly the Houston’s Iron Man. In an era where star players frequently sit out for “rest management,” Green hardly ever misses a game. Besides the New York Knicks’ Mikal Bridges, Knicks,  who has never missed a game in his entire career, it’s hard to think of a player with Green’s durability. It’s even more impressive considering Green’s workload and usage rate. A tangible quality to his game the Rockets aren’t taking for granted, as Green’s started every game of his NBA career.

Coming off an emotional and close win in Boston over the defending champs the previous night, this was a game Houston could’ve easily lost. But the Rockets managed to slug their way through, stay the course, and hang on for the win. This matchup had trap-game vibes entering the contest, as the Hawks aren’t the same caliber of competition Houston’s been beating on this road trip and en route to a four game win streak. And the Rockets next matchup is a nationally televised affair against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. So Houston could’ve easily overlooked a weaker Hawks team for their upcoming divisional showdown. But as he’s done all season long, Ime Udoka has gotten the best out of his players, and whichever unit he puts on the court. If the Rockets keep rolling and hang on to the second seed, he might snatch the Coach of the Year Award away from Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson, especially after sweeping the Cavs in consecutive games.

Up next, the Rockets will play their final of their toughest road trip of the season with a showdown in Memphis against the Grizzlies on Thursday night. Houston will be aiming to sweep Memphis, as the Rockets are 3-0 against the Grizz this season. Expect another close game on Thursday night between these divisional foes, as Houston aims to close their road trip with a bang.