Rockets Lose Steam in Indy, Fall to Pacers, 132-129
All for Naught. Third Quarter Misery. Losing Pace.
Houston’s road woes continued, as the Rockets fell to the Indiana Pacers, 132-129, on Tuesday night. Pascal Siakam led Indy with 29 points, Myles Turner added 21 points, and Tyrese Haliburton had 18 points including a clutch dagger that sealed the game for the Pacers. Houston actually led this game by 7 points at halftime, but another dreadful third quarter gave Indy control of the game. The Pacers outscored the Rockets 38-24 in the third quarter, and while Jalen Green scored 12 of his team-leading 30 points to fuel a fourth quarter run, but it was all for naught, as Houston lost once again on the road.
All the Rockets’ starters scored at least 13 points. Jabari Smith Jr. bounced back from his worst game of the season with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Alperen Sengun had another well-rounded game, registering 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. And Amen Thompson almost single-handedly brought the Rockets within the lead with his hustle and defense late in the contest. Thompson finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks in one of the best games of his career so far.
Houston is now 5-18 on the road, and while they’re schedule has been tough, things will ease up a bit as the Rockets close out their road-trip. The squad has two days off before traveling north of the border to face the Raptors on Friday night. Afterwards, Houston will fly to Atlanta to battle the Hawks on Saturday night. Toronto is in full-rebuilding mode, and the Rockets should be able to beat the Raptors once again, especially after two days off. Atlanta is in tenth place in the East, and with a losing record, the Hawks have underperformed this season. If Houston wants to avoid losing pace in the standings, they need to win these next couple of games.
The Rockets are now 12th place in the West, behind the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz for the 10th and final Play-In spot. If Houston’s road woes continue this weekend, their hopes of sneaking into the playoffs will be slim at best. Expect the Rockets to be ready to finally get a road win when they play their lone game in Canada on Friday night.