Rockets Sink Clippers, 117-106, Behind Green’s 31 Points
Perfect Cut. Stay Ready Crew. Building Momentum.
Houston ended their road trip in the NBA’s newest arena, Intuit Dome, and earned their third win over the Clippers this season with a 117-106 triumph on Sunday night. The Rockets were without two key rotational pieces, Fred VanVleet and Tari Eason, but still managed to win in relatively comfortable fashion. James Harden didn’t play for Los Angeles, which didn’t hurt Houston’s path to victory by any means. Jalen Green scored 31 points to lead the Rockets’ offensive attack. In his second start of the season, Amen Thompson scored a season-high 22 points. Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. both had double-doubles, and Dillon Brooks also added 19 points for Houston. Bones Hyland led the Clippers with 22 points, and Ivica Zubac chipped in 21 points and 12 rebounds, but without the Beard, they didn’t have enough firepower to contend with the Rockets. And “The Wall” inside Intuit Dome had little effect on Houston’s players.
Several guys saw extended minutes for Houston in the absences of VanVleet and Eason on Sunday night. The “Stay Ready Crew” was prepared to come in and contribute winning plays. Aaron Holiday scored 11 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Jae’Sean Tate scored 6 points and grabbed 4 boards. Steven Adams also chipped in 4 points and 4 rebounds off the pine for the Rockets. Reed Sheppard played 11 minutes and once again had a dismal performance, further adding proof he needs to be sent to the G-League. The rookie just isn’t ready for this stage yet, and Houston has guys like Aaron Holiday, or the recently called-up Cam Whitmore, who are far better players at this moment. Theses Rockets are in win-now mode, trying to win as many games as possible in order to gain a solid position come playoff time. Houston simply doesn’t have the luxury to play someone like Sheppard who should be in the G-League, just because he was the third overall pick. With a sample size of 24 games now, it’s evident the rookie is on the verge of being a bust. But General Manager Rafael Stone has built such a deep team, and many are players he drafted (Sengun, Green, Eason, Thompson). The Rockets are in great position as long as they don’t like their bust of a rookie ruin their season.
Houston is now a perfect 3-0 against the Clips this season, as they were able to salvage a win to close out their West Coast road trip. This victory was important as the squad needed some sort of momentum heading into the next matchup. Which happens to be the biggest game of the season. And the biggest in most of these young players’ careers. On Wednesday night the Rockets will host the dreaded Golden State Warriors in the Quarterfinal of the NBA Cup. Houston has lost fifteen straight games to the Dubs, but the Rockets have been playing well at home recently. The squad will aim to start a new streak against the Warriors, as the Rockets play host to the proceedings at Toyota Center on Wednesday night.