Splashlanta: Rockets Rally to Shock Hawks, 132-126, in Impressive Comeback Win
DJ of the Night. Reserve Rally. The Ultimate Pro.
It appeared this game was out of reach for the Rockets. Houston trailed by as many as 19 points at one moment, and the score read 97-80 with under a minute remaining in the third period. But this is a different Rockets team than the squad we saw a month ago. Eric Gordon and D.J. Augustin led a furious rally in the fourth quarter, and Houston came back to stun Atlanta, 132-126, on Monday night. The veteran duo both had their best games of the year. EG finished with a season-high 32 points to lead the Rockets, who survived a 41-point outburst from Atlanta’s Trae Young. The ever-so-daring Augustin had his best game as a Rocket, scoring a season-high 22 points on 6-for-7 shooting from long range, in only 23 minutes. As a team, Houston shot lights out from distance in the fourth quarter, hitting 8 of their 11 three-pointers. The team scored 44 points on 65% shooting in the period, as EG and the bench fueled the most impressive comeback of the season. It’s only the Houston’s second road win, and their first when trailing by double-digits entering the final period.
Along with the veterans, this was truly a team-effort from every Rocket who saw the floor. Nine Houston players got at least 21 minutes of playing time, as everyone contributed for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun played his first crunch-time minutes of his career on Monday night. And it won’t be the last time, as the rookie is slowly carving out a bigger role for himself with spectacular play. Sengun was a part of the group that outscored the Hawks 44-25 in the final quarter. Al-P registered 11 points, 6 boards, and led Houston with 4 assists in 25 minutes of action. The Rockets bench exploded for 62 points, and other than EG, it was all reserves on the court during during Houston’s rally in the fourth quarter. KJ Martin had another strong performance with 13 points, and Josh Christopher continues to see more playing time, getting 24 minutes of action on Monday.
However, the Rockets don’t comeback to shock last year’s Eastern Conference Finalists without David Nwaba. Armoni Brooks suffered an injury during the contest, opening the door for an opportunity for Nwaba. David has played sparingly over recent games. He even saw a stretch during Houston’s winning streak where he didn’t play for six straight games. And on Monday night, Nwaba didn’t hit the court until late in the third quarter. After hitting only one three all season, Nwaba hit two clutch threes late in this contest, and was a major part of Houston’s comeback. He finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and had the defensive play of the night, sealing the victory for Houston by stealing the ball from Trae Young in the final minute. Nwaba, along with David Theis, who didn’t play tonight, define what it means to be a true professional. These guys start some games, come off the bench for others, and even go stretches of games where they don’t play at all. Yet when their number’s called, they’re always ready. It’s something the Rockets’ young core can learn from their savvy veterans. Even Augustin is someone who’s minutes typically fluctuate at a high rate. Yet tonight, the veterans showed what it means to be “always ready” in the NBA. There’s a reason the bench (besides EG) finished the game instead of the Rockets starters. The reserves played so hard, and Houston’s bench is full of guys with something to prove. And they sure proved on Monday night they deserve more playing time, making Stephen Silas’ job more challenging, in the best way.
Houston is now 8-2 in their last ten games after starting the season 1-16. They’re actually closer to the play-in spot than having the worst record. This Rockets team plays too hard to lose. Hate it or love it Houston fans, this Rocket team doesn’t know how to tank, and they won’t finish with the worst record in basketball. They had a brutal early schedule, and obvious growing pains with a young group to start the season. And with two thirds of the season remaining, there will still be plenty of bumps down the road. But Houston is starting to show the league that they’re not as bad as their horrific start. With a team composed of guys with giant chips on their shoulders… no game’s out of reach.