Houston Snaps 4-Game Skid as CP3, Melo Ignite Rockets Past Nets, 119-111
We’d all seen this one before. It was a sadly familiar sight. The Rockets trailed in another game early, against an inferior opponent. They were down 57-43 in the second quarter, and things looked like they had all season. The Rockets were on their way to another embarrassing defeat. Then, out of the blue, during a timeout the Rockets vocal leader, Chris Paul, had finally had enough and told the coaches to “stay back” during a players-only huddle that may have turned the season around. The Rockets came out of that timeout and cut the deficit from 14 to 5 at the half. They looked different. It’s too early and too small a sample size to see if they truly have their “swagger” back, but it’s a step in the right direction as the Rockets closed out the Nets behind a stellar CP3 performance and Carmelo Anthony’s best game in a Rockets uniform. Melo hit two clutch 3’s late that helped seal the Rockets’ win in his return to the New York area. The team as a whole looked more determined defensively in the final 30 minutes compared to the first 18 minutes, where the Rockets looked like a 1-5 team. It’s a step in the right direction. A win is a win and the Rockets desperately needed one and now need to use this momentum moving forward as they get the Beard back for tomorrow night’s game in Chicago against the Bulls. The Rockets will try and string back-to-back wins together for the first time all season again another inferior Eastern Conference opponent.