Opening Fright: Rockets Collapse in 2nd Half, Fall to Bucks in Opener, 117-111
Half Measures. Interior Invasion. Speeding Up.
“The moral of the story is… I chose a half measure, when I should have gone all the way. I’ll never make that mistake again. No more half measures.” It’s one of the better quotes from the greatest TV show of all time, Breaking Bad. I couldn’t help but think about it after Houston’s opening night loss. The Rockets sure chose a half measure on Saturday night. Everything looked bright and optimistic. Houston held a 16-point lead at halftime, and led by 9 entering the fourth quarter. Giannis even fouled out before crunch time. But in the end, none of it mattered. Milwaukee rallied down the stretch, en route to handing the Rockets a 117-111 opening night defeat. Houston put up brick after brick when it mattered most down the stretch. More concerning, the Rockets had no defensive presence in the paint. Houston allowed layup after layup, as their interior defense appears to be one of the squad’s glaring weaknesses they’ll need to address moving forward. Milwaukee invaded the paint seemingly at will, with Houston having no answers for their attack on the rim. Unfortunately, the Rockets also had a problem giving up big leads last season. They need to buck this trend quickly, or like last year, Houston will find themselves in an early-season hole.
In his first game as a Rocket, Russell Westbrook had a fine game for the stat books. Brodie finished with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 dimes. As expected, his shot selection was questionable at times. However, the Rockets scored as many fast-break points on Thursday (27) as they did in any game last year. Westbrook certainly makes Houston speed up the pace, something essential for Mike D’Antoni’s offense to function at its highest level. James Harden had a quiet opening night. The Beard finished with 19 points, but on a torrid 2-of-13 shooting from the field. Harden also had 14 assists, and 7 boards, but was slowed by some very questionable offensive fouls late in the game. The Beard was called for charging three times late in the game. The egregious calls affected Harden’s aggressiveness. It’s rare to see the Beard take less than 15 shots in a game. It’s just not in his nature. Harden and Westbrook had a heated conversation late in the loss. Houston’s superstar backcourt needs to realize it’s not a one man show. Brodie and the Beard should be past the days of only caring about stats. All the points and triple-doubles in the world can’t buy you a championship. Not in this league. It takes teamwork. Milwaukee showed that down the stretch. The Bucks closed the game without the reigning MVP. The Greek Freak still finished with a triple-double consisting of 30 points, 13 boards, and 11 assists.
The pace of play helped P.J. Tucker get open for looks, who was the most efficient shooter for Houston against Milwaukee. Tucker finished with 17 points, and went 5-of-8 from long range. Clint Capela finished with a double-double, garnering 13 points and 12 boards. However, the big man didn’t see enough playing time down the stretch, and needs to get back into playing shape. Eric Gordon also needs to get back to splashing threes. EG had a terrible shooting night on Thursday. Gordon had the most shot attempts on the team, but went only 4-of-19 from the field. EG also boasted the lowest plus/minus on the entire squad. Houston was outscored by 22 points when Gordon was on the court. Maybe a change to the starting lineup for EG will get him back in rhythm, but it’s too early in the season to make that switch. Plus, Daniel House was solid as a starter, and fills the role nicely. One thing’s for certain: it’s still early, but like time, the season goes by fast. If the Rockets don’t address these issues prominently, they’ll be in for another slow start to the season. Luckily for Houston, the competition isn’t as fierce in their next matchup. The New Orleans Pelicans come to Houston on Saturday night. The division rivals will be without the league’s number one pick and rookie phenom Zion Williamson, who’s out with an injury. However, the Pelicans still have plenty of young pieces, and New Orleans is coming off two close losses. Expect the Pelicans to be hungry for a win. The Rockets can’t afford any more half measures.