Bad Apple: Rockets Collapse Late, Fall to Knicks, 106-99
Another One Bites the Dust. No Moral Victories. The Martin/Sengun Effect.
For a little longer than a New York minute, the Rockets looked poised to end the losing streak at Madison Square Garden. As has been the case several times during this losing streak, Houston had a lead going into the final quarter, something a casual onlooker may haven’t realized. But for everyone who’s been watching closely, it was the same old story in the Big Apple on Saturday night. Houston actually outplayed New York through the first three periods. But they play four quarters for a reason. And the Knicks rallied in the final period, dealing the Rockets a 106-99 loss, and Houston’s 14th straight defeat. If there’s any silver lining to be found, Jalen Green is starting to play more efficiently, especially securing and shooting the ball. After a sloppy start to his career, Green’s looked more like the prodigy many made him out to be before the season began. Green scored 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Christian Wood had another solid double-double, with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
In this league, there’s no column for the “tried hard, almost won” games. This is the NBA: No Boys Allowed. It’s a man’s league, and as Houston’s young squad adjusts to the physicality of the professional level, the team is slowly inching closer to a win, despite what the record might reveal. The Rockets just need to keep pushing and playing hard, following the lead of their energizer bunny, Jae’Sean Tate. The best hustler in the NBA had another efficient night, supplying a double-double for Houston. And Coach Stephen Silas and the Rockets might’ve finally found a recipe to turn these “moral” victories into actual wins. And push Houston closer to the pack of parity, instead of performing as the league’s “Bad Apples.”
Alperen Sengun and K.J. Martin (Houston’s two best bench players), finally got the most minutes out of the Rocket reserves. Sengun played 24 minutes, and Martin saw 21 minutes of action. The effect these two have goes beyond the stats, but’s here’s a few for good measure: the two combined for 20 points to lead Houston’s bench. Sengun continues to pass the ball like a seasoned veteran. And K.J. Martin isn’t just the most athletic player on the Rockets… KJ’s arguably the most athletic player in the entire league. At least pound for pound. His blocking ability for his short stature is unforeseen in the NBA. And he’s Houston’s most valuable asset in transition. If Silas continues to let Sengun and Martin (two core pieces of the future), the Rockets can start to win games now. Houston had the bad end of the stick in New York, but the team showed vast improvement in their ability to stay with a team for the entire game… the Rockets just ran out of gas near the end. Up next, the NBA’s “Bad Apples” travel to another Garden, this time in Boston to take on the Celtics.