Fear No Deer: Rockets Surge Past Bucks, 97-92, for Fourth Straight Home Win
Mentored Victory. The Giannis Stopper. Sequence of the Year.
“It’s not until you’re about to lose someone that you finally pay attention,” a quote from the random film Malcom & Marie that came to mind after witnessing arguably the most exciting Rockets game of the year. On Sunday, the world lost not only a great basketball mind, but a beloved person in Paul Silas, the father of Houston Rockets Head Coach Stephen SIlas, who wasn’t present on the sidelines due to the news. Assistant coach John Lucas filled in for Silas, as the Rockets and Bucks went toe-to-toe in one of the most exciting NBA games so far this year. Houston ended up with arguably their most impressive victory of the year with a thrilling 97-92 victory over the Bucks. Words can’t describe the excitement and passion Lucas showed after the impressive comeback win. Houston’s backcourt led the way offensively, as Jalen Green had another impressive performance against a tough opponent. Green scored 30 points on an efficient 12-for-21 shooting display to lead the squad. The evolving superstar also grabbed seven board for the Rockets. Kevin Porter Jr. contributed 18 points and had 7 assists, and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 6 points, but his defense was the difference in the game. Jabari grabbed 10 boards and locked Giannis up, holding the Greek Freak to only 16 points on the night. Overall, this was a team effort on both ends for Houston in this emotional win. The squad has to be proud of how they came out and battled with one of the NBA’s best teams, especially considering the sad news earlier in the day regarding Paul Silas.
The Rockets are still a little slow starting games, as Milwaukee got off to a blistering start, with Giannis posterizing Houston’s starting lineup within the opening minutes of the contest. The Rockets would trail by as many as 9 points, 21-12, before cutting the deficit to six in a first quarter that resembled a Dunk-a-Thon. Green does lead all guards in the NBA in dunks this season with 21 so far this year. He shot 5/6 from the floor in the first quarter whilst the rest of the Rockets combined to shoot 4-for-14. Houston seized the lead in the second quarter, entering halftime with a 50-48 edge. The Bucks regained the lead after halftime on a 7-2 run, before the sequence of the season happened for Houston. With the Rockets trailing by 5 points at this points, Jabari Smith Jr. yanks the ball out of Giannis’ hands to start a Houston fast break that ends with a dunk. On the very next play, Milwaukee attempted to attack on transition, but the Greek Freak was denied at the hoop by Smith Jr., with one of the season’s most impressive rejections. On the next play, Houston sped the offense up, and the ball eventually found Jabari for an easy dunk, forcing the Bucks to a call a timeout with the Toyots Center crowd rocking. It’s these types of sequences the Rockets need to initiate more often throughout the season. Aggressive, but controlled, transitional play on both ends of the floor were the keys to this incredible sequence. If you haven’t seen the clip, which runs for only roughly a minute, I highly recommend watching, as it perfectly displays the All-Star potential Jabari Smith Jr. has in his bag of tricks.
Speaking of tricks, no one saw this coming: Giannis had only 16 points in 36 minutes of action, as Jabari Smith Jr. gave the former MVP fits all night. This was only the second time since the 2017/2018 season that the Greek Freak has been contained to 17 points. After their first meeting, a Bucks blowout that saw Giannis drop 44 points easily on Houston, the Rockets are a much different team as evidenced with this victory over Milwaukee on Monday night. And they may have the one possession all opponents envy: the Giannis Stopper in Jabari Smith Jr. They won’t meet again until next season, but Smith Jr, sure made a nice impression during their second matchup. Houston became the first team this season to beat the Bucks when trailing against Milwaukee entering the fourth quarter. The Bucks were 17-0 when leading or tied entering the final frame. Make that 17-1 now, as the Rockets put on their most impressive defensive performance of the season. Houston got outscored by 20 points in the paint, but still managed to out-rebound the bigger and stronger Bucks 52-49, on the glass.
Houston trailed 87-81 with seven minutes left in the game. After that point, the Rockets blazed off to a 16-5 run to close the contest. Milwaukee could only manage to score a meager five points against Houston’s ferocious fourth quarter defense in the final seven minutes of the game. Much was due to Jabari’s defense on Giannis, but this was a sheer team effort tonight for the Rockets. Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. are proving why they were high lottery picks in their respective draft classes, and they’re only just beginning to show their evolutionary talents. Up next the Rockets host another tough opponent with the playoffs, and possibly more, on their mind in the Phoenix Suns, on Tuesday night. Houston won the last matchup in a nail-biter as Devin Booker missed a shot at the buzzer that would’ve dealt the Rockets another defeat. Phoenix will certainly be out for revenge on, and hopefully the squad is ready for another hard-fought battle. It’s nice to see Houston playing in honor of Paul Silas, with the kind of defensive grit and toughness he would have loved as a coach. This Rockets team is much better than I, they, or anyone thought… it’s about time the rest of the league finally pays attention to Houston’s current evolution.