Rockets Sting Hornets, 138-104, in Emphatic Fashion
Buzz-Worthy. Tale of Two Halves. Settling In.
After their most embarrassing loss of the season, the Rockets rolled into Charlotte, and stung the Hornets, 138-104, for their fifth road win of the season. Charlotte only has ten victories, but in their previous game, Houston lost at home to a team that had only 12 wins in Portland. It was refreshing to see the Rockets get an emphatic victory on the road, a place they’ve struggled to win all season long. This matchup was a tale of two halves. Houston led by only two points, 55-53, at the half, but outscored Charlotte 44-25 in the 3rd period to take control of the game. In the first half the Rockets shot only 41% from the field, including a terrible 3-for-19 from beyond the arc. In the second half, Houston torched the Hornets for 83 points on a ridiculous 75% shooting, including going 10-for-14 from three-point land.
Jalen Green scored a season-high 36 points to lead the Rockets, as he’s slowly began to show slight improvement in his performance over the past several games. He also grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds to go with 4 assists and 2 steals on the night. Unfortunately, Green is still really struggling with his three-point shot. Jalen shot only 1-for-7 from three point range. In contrast, he only missed twice from inside the arc, going 11-13 on two-point attempts. When Green attacks the basket, he’s a much more efficient and reliable offensive threat for Houston. If he settles for deep threes too often, which he’s shown to do over the past several games, he struggles. Luckily in this contest, Green was extra aggressive, attacking the basket with reckless abandon throughout the game. Green scored 17 of his 36 points in the demonstrative third-quarter for the Rockets.
This game wasn’t all about Jalen Green. Houston had seven players score in double figures. The Rockets’ rookies are starting to settle in and become adjusted to the NBA tempo and game. Cam Whitmore scored a career-high 24 points in only 20 minutes off the bench for Houston. Whitmore shot 9-for-18 from the floor, including nailing 4 of his 9 attempts from beyond the arc. Amen Thompson scored 13 points, dished out 8 assists, and snagged 6 rebounds in 23 minutes off the pine for the Rockets. These rookies are looking better with every game and increased playing time. Jabari Smith Jr. will miss another game tomorrow in Brooklyn, so expect these rookies to continue seeing their opportunity. Alperen Sengun had a quieter than usual night, registering 11 points, 6 boards, and 7 dimes, but he wasn’t needed as much as usual. This game was over near the end of the third period. Houston led by more than 40 points at one point. Hopefully the squad’s hot shooting travels, as they’ll battle the Nets in Brooklyn tomorrow night on the second night of a back-to-back.