Furious Rally Falls Short for Rockets in 106-104 Loss to Nets
Not Ready. Failure to Seize. New York Minute.
Houston had every opportunity imaginable to pull-off a comeback in Brooklyn to end their brief two-game trip. However, the Rockets failed to capitalize on all the chances the Nets continued to give Houston in the final moments. Brooklyn tried to lose this game, giving the Rockets many opportunities late to gain a lead, but ultimately, Houston failed to capitalize on the Nets’ mistakes. The Rockets rallied from a 28-point deficit in the first half, but ultimately fell short in Brooklyn, as they lost to the Nets, 106-104, on Saturday night. Houston trailed Brooklyn, 47-19, in the second period of this contest. The Rockets put on a furious rally, but their slow start prevented them from escaping Brooklyn with a victory. Cam Thomas was scorching hot, leading the Nets with a season-high 37 points. Jalen Green, Can Whitmore, and Dillon Brooks scored 19 points apiece to pace Houston. Green also had 10 rebounds as he continues to slowly contribute more across the board besides scoring. Alperen Sengun had another quiet game, registering only 15 points to go with 11 boards.
Coming off a win the night before, one would have suspected the Rockets would’ve had some momentum entering this contest. But Houston came out flat in Brooklyn, mustering only 15 points in the first quarter, resulting in a 20-point deficit after twelve minutes of action. The Rockets have had problems putting four quarters together to win games. Houston either plays well in the first half, or the second half. They’ve struggled mightily over recent games to string two solid halves together. The squad will now return home for a three-game stretch this week that includes games with the Lakers, Pelicans, and Raptors.
The Rockets now have a record of 21-24, good for 11th place in the Western Conference. They trail the 10th place Utah Jazz by only one game in the loss column. And things can change in a New York Minute seemingly in the West standings with the Conference so tightly jumbled. Houston can still sneak into the Play-In Tournament if they can manage to consistently string some wins together. Since that initial seven-game home-stand to start the season, the Rockets have been merely a .500 ball club. Houston started the season 6-3, but the Rockets have gone 21-21 since that first home-stand ended. Up next, the Rockets return to Toyota Center to start a three-game home-stand. Houston hosts the Lakers in the teams’ final meeting on Monday night. L.A. will pose a greater challenge than Brooklyn, so the Rockets need to get off to a fast start if they want to start this mini home stretch with a win.