Rockets Suffer Stung-ing Collapse in 110-105 Opening Night Loss to Hornets
Double Threat Death. Tale of Two Halves. Buzzkill.
Well, that was a downer, to say the least. Entering the season full of hype and hope, Houston suffered one of the most embarassing home collapses in franchise history on Opening Night. Midway through the second quarter, the Rockets seemed in control of the game, building their lead up to as many as 18 points. Everything seemed like it was smooth sailing for the sqaud, but somewhere, they took their foot off the pedal. After halftime, the game swung out of Houston’s control. LaMelo Ball led the way for Charlotte with 34 points, as the Hornets buzzed back in the second half to deal the Rockets a disappointing 110-105 Opening Night loss. Tre Mann added 24 points for Charlotte, as he and Ball combined for more than half of the Hornets’ point total. In fact, they were the only pair of players on the Hornets to score more than 10 points. Jalen Green led the Rockets with 28 points, and Alperen Sengun contributed 25 points, 18 boards, but Houston put on a disappearing act offensively in the second half, scoring only 45 points after the break.
The defeat is disappointing for the Rockets given the Hornets aren’t expected to be a competitive team this year. Houston were also at home, and blew a great opportunity to start the season with a win. If the Rockets could’ve contained Ball and Mann on the defesnive end, Houston would’ve secured the victory. Instead, they fell apart on defense late in the game, and essentially let two players come in and beat them in their own house. An early learning experiment for the Rockets, the squad looks to bounce back as they host the revitalized Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.
At least Houston got solid games from their two cornerstone players (Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun). Although Green still needs to show improvement shooting the ball, especially from distance. Rookie Reed Sheppard scored 4 points on 2-for-5 shooting in his league debut. The number three overall pick in the draft looked hesistant and nervous in his first NBA game, which isn’t completly unexpected. Look for Sheppard to improve as the season moves on. Houston needs to bury Wednesday’s buzzkill in the past, and move on to the next matchup. Memphis will provide a tougher opponent than Charlotte, but after an embarrassing collapse in their first game, the only direction for the Rockets to move is up.