Rockets Sliced and Diced by Cavs in 124-89 Route
Best to Worst. Early Exit. Sealed by Sengun.
Coming off their most impressive victory of the season, the Rockets had high hopes entering their matchup in Cleveland. Those hopes were quickly laid to rest, as Houston suffered their worst loss of the season, a 124-89 beatdown at the hands of the Cavaliers. The Rockets never led, and trailed by as many as 45 points in this ugly loss. Granted, Houston was very shorthanded with no Eric Gordon, Christian Wood, Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Danuel House Jr. Regardless, you should never lose by 35 points, but the Rockets were gassed. All these games bunched together are starting to wear the injury-plagued sqaud down. And there’s no rest for the weary, as Houston plays again on Thursday night.
Stephen Silas even took an early exit to the locker room at the end of the first quarter. No, it wasn’t because he couldn’t stand the sight of what was unraveling on the court. Coach Silas was dehydrated, and assistant coach John Lucas took over the head coaching reigns for the ailing Silas. According to reports, Silas is feeling better, and plans to be with the team as they take on the Knicks back in Houston on Thursday.
If there was one Rocket who didn’t look exhausted, it was Alperen Sengun. The 19-year-old rookie put on a show in his best individual game of the year. Sengun supplied a career-high 19 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 28 minutes of action, the most he’s ever played in an NBA game. With no Wood, Sengun got more looks and opportunities to display why he deserves to be unleashed. The days of Sengun seeing less than 20 minutes a night should be over. Houston’s prized rookie, the steal of the draft at the 16th pick, is too talented and deserves at least 20-25 minutes a night. It might sound simple, but Sengun makes winning plays, and the Rockets simply play better when he’s on the court.
Houston aims to get back on track as they make a quick pit-stop home to host the Knicks on Thursday, before heading back out on the road. New York has struggled lately, losers of four games in a row. If the Rockets can muster the energy, they should have high hopes they can get back in the winning column when they return home on Thursday night.