Rockets Surge Past Kings, 118-112, Split Weekend Series
Clutch Scooting. Cleared for Flight. Spotlight Dominance.
Houston beat the Kings on Sunday, 118-112, earning a split in their Sacramento Weekend Series. The Rockets scored the first 13 points of the game, and held their biggest lead at 21-5 early in the contest. Hitting 9 of their first 13 shots helped Houston build an early edge, but they found themselves facing 5-point deficit at halftime. And entering the fourth quarter, Houston still trailed by 3 points. An 18-5 run helped Houston counter Sacramento’s comeback bid, and Eric Gordon hit a bucket with 8.5 seconds left (courtesy of the biggest rebound of the game by Jalen Green) that sealed the victory for the Rockets. Christian Wood co-led Houston with a monstrous double-double, recording 23 points and 14 rebounds. Kevin Porter Jr. also scored 23 points on 50% shooting from the floor, including some clutch buckets when the game was tight during crunch time. Buddy Hield was Sacramento’s biggest threat on the night, leading the Kings in scoring with 27 points.
The Kings closed the second and third quarters with dominant runs. Sacramento ended the first half on a 23-7 run to give them a 5-point lead entering the break. And the Kings closed the third period on a 13-4 run to earn a 3-point edge entering the final frame. Lucky for Houston, the air was cleared for flight, as Garry Bird returned with a vengeance after going scoreless in the two previous games. Garrison Matthews scored 17 points on 4-for-6 shooting from distance, and drew a few of his signature charges against the bulldozing opposition. It’s good to see Matthews back in form, as his energy is a key part of the Rockets maintaining momentum during games. Garry Bird can swing the game in Houston’s favor with a few plays on either end. Matthews’ relentless energy gets everyone from his teammates to the fans pumped up. Garry Bird was a part of arguably the biggest play of the contest. With 8:14 remaining in the game, Matthews was karate chopped to the floor in malicious fashion by De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento’s best player. Fox was rightfully given a Flagrant-2 foul, and ejected from the game as a result. The Kings’ lacking Fox down the stretch hurt their offense, and paved the way for a Rockets comeback.
As the trade deadline gets closer, the two biggest names heard from the Rockets roster in rumors are Eric Gordon and Christian Wood. Both players continue to play well despite all the trade talk. EG hit another game-winning basket, and Wood further proved he’s a double-double machine with another dominant performance. Gordon’s been a Rocket for six seasons now, and Wood has All-Star caliber talent. Personally, I’d hate to see either player leave town, but it appears at least one of the two will be dealt before the trade deadline in February. Similar to these rare wins this season, appreciate Gordon and Wood while they’re still in Houston. If one or both guys eventually split ways with the squad, we won’t know until after the fact that they’ve played their last game in a Rocket uniform… so appreciate them while they’re still here.