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Rockets Seal Play-In Berth with 116-108 Win Over Magic

Amazing Eight.    Clinched.    Magical Sweep.

 

In the heart of the happiest place on Earth, the Rockets kept the good times rolling, as they beat the Magic, 116-108, in Orlando on Wednesday night. With the victory, Houston pushes their longest current winning streak in the league to eight games. Jalen Green scored 26 points to lead the Rockets in their latest win. Green’s starting to heat up, as he’s now scored at least 23 points in five straight games. Alperen Sengun added another double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Fred VanVleet chipped in 19 points. Tari Eason scored 16 points, and Dillon Brooks added 15 points. And to round out balanced offensive attack for Houston, Jabari Smith Jr. scored 13 points off the bench. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 31 points, and Franz Wagner added 20 points, but Orlando didn’t have the offensive firepower to match the sizzling Rockets on Wednesday night.

With the win in Orlando, Houston has now officially clinched a Play-In Berth, at the very least. The Rockets should be able to clinch a playoff berth within the next week or two, as only a dozen games or so remain in the regular season for most teams. This will be Houston’s first postseason appearance in five years, and a goal Ime Udoka and his staff should be should be very proud of, as the head coach of the Rockets has completely turned the team around in his two years at the helm.

Wednesday’s win also gives Houston a sweep over the Orlando Magic this season, and some revenge for the ugly blowout loss they suffered in Udoka’s first road game as the Rockets head coach. Houston now has a game edge over the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers for the second seed in the Western Conference. The Memphis Grizzlies sit two games back (essentially three as the Rockets own the tiebreaker) of second place. Houston controls their own destiny. With only a dozen games remaining, if the Rockets continue taking care of business, they can clinch the second overall seed in the brutally competitive West.

Up next, Houston will wrap up their Florida road trip with a visit to Vice City to battle the Miami Heat one Friday night. The Rockets will try and break a Heat curse, as Houston has lost a whopping nine straight games to Miami. Luckily, rumors are Amen Thompson is probable to make his return on Friday night after missing six straight games. And Houston will aim to keep the happy times rolling as they head to South Beach, aiming for nine straight wins in a row.

Rockets Hit the Road, Seeking to Sweep Magic in Orlando

Florida Trip.    Road Duet.    Aiming for Eight.   

Fresh off a perfect six-game homestand, the Rockets hit the road for a quick two trip stop in Florida. First up on the slate, the Orlando Magic await, as Houston visits DisneyWorld for the first time since their first road game of last season. The Rockets will cap off this two-game Florida trip with a meeting with the Miami Heat in South Beach on Friday night. Entering tonight’s matchup with Orlando, Houston is riding a season-high seven game winning streak, and the longest current streak in the league. Meanwhile, in their last game, Orlando is coming off an impressive road win in Cleveland that snapped the Cavaliers 16-game winning streak. 

Less than ten days ago, the Rockets won the first matchup between these squads, as they bested the Magic, 97-84, back in Houston on March 10th. Orlando is the worst offensive team in the entire NBA, although they’re one of the better defensive squads. The Rockets are aiming for their eighth straight victory tonight, as they hit the road for the first time since they beat the Pelicans in New Orleans on March 8th. Despite winning their last road game, Houston has a much better home record, at 26-10, compared to their 18-15 record away from Toyota Center this season. In their last road game, the Rockets did snap a gnarly eight game losing streak on the road. Hopefully, against two sub-par Floridian teams, Houston can resume their winning ways on the road.

Amen Thompson will remain out for tonight’s matchup in Orlando, but there’s a chance he could return on Friday against the Miami Heat. For now, the Rockets need to continue to thrive without their versatile Swiss army knife. Coming off an emotionally thrilling comeback victory to close their homestand, Houston will be aiming to carry this recent momentum on the road, as the squad is seeking their eighth straight win tonight. The Rockets are currently in the second seed in the Western Conference, with the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers breathing down their neck right, not far behind. If Houston wants to win the war for the West’s second seed, they’ll need to win games like tonight against the Orlando Magic. Don’t be surprised if Houston finds themselves in another close crunch time battle, but this squad should have enough sweep Orlando. After beating the Magic earlier this month, expect the Rockets to do the same on Friday night as Houston begins their mini Florida road trip.

 

Kia Center:  Orlando, Florida

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (44-25):  White

Orlando Magic (32-37):  Black

 

Tip-Off:  6:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Comeback Kings: Rockets Storm Past 76ers, 144-137, in OT Thriller to Win 7th Straight

March Madness: NBA Style.    The Jalen and Jabari Show.    Streaking.

In one of the craziest NBA games of the entire season, the Rockets rallied from a 25-point deficit to stun the 76ers, 144-137, in overtime on Monday night. Houston’s comeback from a quarter down is tied for the largest in their franchise’s history. The win gives the Rockets their seventh straight win, as Houston completes their longest homestand of the season with a 6-0 record. This game was truly the NBA’s version of March Madness. The Sixers led by 25 points, 88-63, with a little under ten minutes remaining in the third quarter. By the end of the period, the Rockets had completely erased this deficit, finishing the quarter on a 39-14 run to tie the game entering the final quarter. In the final frame, Philly built multiple ten point leads, but Houston rallied each time. The Rockets used a 10-2 run at the end of the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.

The play of the game came at the end of regulation, as Jabari Smith Jr. perfectly missed a free throw on purpose, which then allowed Alperen Sengun to rebound the ball and tip it in to tie the game and send it to overtime. The Sixers had a few seconds to score after Sengun’s tip, but couldn’t capitalize. And in overtime, the Rockets finally grabbed a lead for good, as they outscored the Sixers 13-6 in extra time en route to the win. Sengun dominated in OT after being benched for most of the fourth quarter.

Incredibly, Houston didn’t hold a lead in this game until overtime. The Rockets trailed nearly the duration of regular time, besides tying it in a few key possessions. Philly’s Quentin Grimes arguably had the best performance of any Houston opponent this season. Grimes exploded for a career-high 46 points on some absolutely ridiculous Steph Curry-like shots, and grabbed 13 rebounds. Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. essentially saved the Rockets, as both players led Houston with 30 points. Tari Eason scored 21 points, but was ejected after arguing a call that got him fouled out. Fred VanVleet was also tossed from the game after he was assessed a questionable Flagrant 2 penalty on a defensive play in transition. And Dillon Brooks scored 25 points, but fouled out late in overtime, as the Rockets had lost three key players at that points besides the already sidelined Amen Thompson.

Houston still found a way to win, and willed themselves back into this game, beating a Sixers team that played incredibly hard and hit some tough shots in the process, especially in the first half. Despite being severely undermanned, Philly nearly pulled off the upset. One could say the Rockets got the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but they won, and at this point in the season, that’s all that matters.

After their historic comeback on Monday night, Houston currently now has the NBA’s longest winning streak, at seven games. The Rockets will hit the road next for a couple fo games in Florida against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat, both very winnable matchups for Houston. Only thirteen games remain in the season for the Rockets, as they strive to hang on to the West’s second seed in what should be a thrilling finish to the NBA’s regular season.

Red-Hot Rockets Host Hobbled 76ers in Homestand Finale

Seeking Seventh Heaven.    Undermanned Sixers.    Maintain Focus.

The Rockets close out their longest homestand of the season with a Monday night St. Patrick’s Day showdown with the depleted Philadelphia 76ers. Houston is rolling, currently riding a season-high six game winning streak entering tonight’s matchup. The Sixers are coming off a win over the NBA’s other heavily undermanned team (the Dallas Mavericks) yesterday afternoon. And the Rockets currently find themselves in a battle for the second spot in the Western Conference. Houston holds the second seed, with the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Memphis Grizzlies only a game or less behind.

These Sixers will be even more undermanned than when the Rockets recently walloped a heavily-wounded Mavericks team on Friday night. Philly will have a whopping 11 players out in this game due to injury. Other than Quentin Grimes, the starting lineup will be mainly unrecognizable players from the G-League. Grimes has flourished since coming to the Sixers, and he’s reveled the most in increased playing time due to Philly’s copious amount of injuries. As long as the Rockets can keep Grimes in check, they should be able to beat this Sixers team. Even if Grimes has a huge game, there’s no reason for Houston to lose to a bad team with a ridiculous amount of injuries. Amen Thompson will remain out tonight for the Rockets, but he’s close to returning from his injury, according to Head Coach Ime Udoka.

Houston is aiming to extend their season-high winning streak to seven games with a win tonight. And the Rockets have no excuse to lose this game, as the Sixers barely have enough players to participate in the match. However, as evidenced in their previous win over the Bulls on Saturday night, Houston has had the unfortunate nature of overlooking bad teams at points during this season. Despite all their injuries, Philly still has professionals who are fighting and auditioning for future playoff time, whether it be with the Sixers or other potential suitors. Anything can happen in the NBA, especially if the Rockets don’t come out with energy and can’t maintain focus. Hopefully Houston is ready to close out this homestand with a victory, which would make this a perfect home stretch for the Rockets, and extend their winning streak to seven games.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Philadelphia 76ers (23-44):  Red

Houston Rockets (43-25):  “City Edition” White

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass