Rockets Crater to Pistons in Disappointing 112-104 Loss
Missed Opportunity. More Giveaways. Biggest Lesson.
Jalen Green blew by Cade Cunningham late in the third quarter for a ferocious jam, squaring the game at 73 points apiece. Houston wouldn’t regain the lead, as the Pistons dealt the Rockets their worst loss of the season, 112-104. Houston knows they should’ve won this matchup. After a brutal road trip, a home meeting with Detroit was a gift. One the Rockets didn’t open properly. Jalen Green showed signs of brilliance, leading the squad with 23 points. Cunningham scored 20 for the Pistons, who had the best player on the floor, in Jerami Grant. One of the finalist’s for last year’s most improved player award put on a dominant performance. Grant scored 21 of his 35 points in the third quarter, which once again doomed the Rockets. Houston fell behind by as many as 14 points, 100-86. They stormed back to make it 104-103, but too many missed free throws prevented Houston from making the game more contested near the end. Jae’Sean Tate continues to be the most consistent player on the Rockets. Tate played his heart out as usual, finishing with 14 points, 8 boards, and too many hustle plays to count.
Christian Wood scored 20 points and grabbed 9 boards, but didn’t get touches down the stretch. Wood needs to be more assertive and demand the ball. The big fella makes an impact when given the chance. When the squad takes a few trips down the floor without letting Wood touch it, he loses rhythm and gets out of sync. The same can be said for Jalen Green. Kevin Porter Jr. and Green are still working out who gets to shoot it when, and other kinks as they share the backcourt. Houston had a season-low 13 turnovers, but 5 of those were committed by KPJ, who’s still struggling to take care of the ball. Turnovers and missed free throws have been the Rockets’ achilles heal all season. Tonight the squad missed a few key freebies down the stretch that would have given them a chance to win. And too many early second-chance opportunities on the boards for Detroit prevented Houston from building a big lead in the first half.
Well, it doesn’t get any easier than the Pistons at home. And Houston still blew the game. They’ve got two more home games in this three-game stretch to try and stop what’s becoming a long losing streak. The Rockets have now lost 9 consecutive games, and despite how close they were in some of those contests, this young team has to learn how to finish games. Houston was more than capable of beating this bad Pistons team, but their youth and inexperience squandered the chance. It’s the first game all season the Rockets lost as the favorites. If the group follows Jae’Sean Tate’s lead in the hustle department, the squad will get a win soon. Up next, Houston will try and upset the Portland Trail Blazers, who are off to shaky start, on Friday night at Toyota Center.