Road Warriors: Rockets Escape Philly with Thrilling 122-115 OT Win Over 76ers
Seconds. Resilient Dogs. Mini Break.
For the second time in as many nights, the Rockets won a nail-biter in overtime on the road. This time, Houston escaped Philadelphia with another thrilling win in overtime, 122-115, as they edged the 76ers. Tyrese Maxey scored 39 points to lead the Sixers’ attack, but Houston’s defense kept the All-Star guard scoreless in overtime. In his best game of the season, Jalen Green scored a season-high 41 points to lead the Rockets to victory. For Houston, it’s a much-needed bounce-back performance from Green, after the guard’s offensive struggles over the past few games. Green shot an efficient 12-for-20 from the floor, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. If Green plays like this on a consistent basis, the Rockets will be a serious problem for the rest of the league to try and handle. Houston’s already exceeding expectations this season. This win moves the Rockets into sole possession of second place in the Western Conference, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder, who ironically happens to be Houston’s next opponent.
It wasn’t just Jalen Green’s heroics that saved the Rockets in the City of Brotherly Love on Wednesday night. After another slow first half that saw him score only two points, Alperen Sengun woke up in the second half and overtime, and finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists in the win. Sengun dominated in overtime, scoring 11 of Houston’s 14 points in the extra period. And the Terror Twins continue to be the NBA’s best bench duo by a long shot. Amen Thompson was terrific once again. Thompson registered 19 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. And Tari Eason contributed 14 points, 7 boards, and 2 blocks in Houston’s victory. The Terror Twins continue to haunt opposing defenses, leading the NBA in stocks (steals plus blocks) per game. More importantly, they’re hustle and energy inspires their teammate to play with that same grit on defense. It’s why the Rockets are one of the best defenses in the NBA as we near the quarter pole of the season. Houston has shown unforeseen resiliency this season. With The Terror Twins improvement and influence, these Rockets are playing like a pack of hungry, resilient dogs.
Houston will now get a mini-break over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Rockets have a rare three days off before their next game, which is Sunday in Houston versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. The squad has a had a heavy stretch of games packed into just nearly over a month since the season started. It’ll be good for the guys to get some much-needed rest before a very tough test on Sunday. The Thunder are the only team who’s really out-classed the Rockets all season. After a mini-break, Houston gets a chance for some payback in the second meeting between the top two teams in the West coming up this Sunday.