Poor Shooting Dooms Rockets in 109-94 Loss to Knicks
The Brick Apple. 30/30 Vision. Ugly Trip.
Houston closed their season-long six-game road-trip with a whimper, losing to the Knicks, 109-94 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. The Rockets led by two points after the first period, but Houston was outplayed for the remainder of the contest. The Rockets shot only 41.7% from the floor, including a woeful 26.7% from beyond the arc. New York didn’t shoot great either, but their effort topped Houston’s brick display on offense. Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 24 points and 12 assists. Alperen Sengun registered 18 points, 10 boards, and 5 assists. Jalen Green scored 15 points on another inefficient shooting performance. Green shot 6-for-15 overall, and filled to make a three-pointer Cam Whitmore failed to score for the first time all road-trip, garnering only 9 minutes of action on the night. All these variables factored into Houston’s latest loss, as they finished their longest road trip of the season with a 1-5 record.
The Rockets have now lost eight straight games to the Knicks, dating back several seasons. Most of this is due to Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson. Both stars topped the 30-point mark for New York, fueling the Knicks’ offensive charge. Randle finished with 31 points and 8 rebounds, while Brunson added 30 points and 7 assists for New York. New-arrival O.G. Anunoby contributed 15 points, and Josh Hart recorded 10 points and 14 boards off the bench for the Knicks, who out-hustled a young Houston team for the majority of the night.
After an ugly road trip that saw Houston’s lone win come over the lowly Detroit Pistons by only two points, the Rockets are now mired in another three-game losing streak. Houston is now multiple games under .500 for the first time since starting the season 0-3 back in October. The squad will return home for a three-game stretch starting this weekend. The Rockets desperately need to get back on track, and their first two games of this upcoming home-stand will be a tough test. Houston will host the red-hot Utah Jazz on Saturday, followed by the NBA’s best team, the Boston Celtics, the following night. Hopefully the friendly confines of Toyota Center will bring the Rockets some added luck this weekend, as the squad attempts to climb back over the .500 threshold.