Rockets Sluggish After Halftime in 118-109 Loss to Spurs
Road Spurs. Complacent Concerns. Seventh Heaven.
Houston played their first game in the I-45 Rivalry of the season against the San Antonio Spurs, their longest rivals, on Thursday night. And for much of the first half, it appeared the Rockets were possibly capable of winning their fourth road game this season, and third in the last three. But this Texas tilt initially instilled fear in hopes of a Rockets victory for several reasons. And those torments came to haunt Houston in a third quarter that the Spurs dominated, en route to dealing Houston a 118-109 loss in the Alamo City. The defeat gives the Rockets their 13th road loss already this season. Granted, Houston’s played more road games than any team so far this season. But with a record of 3-13 away from Toyota Center, the Rockets has to sharpen up their performance and sense of urgency on the road as they continue to travel on for the rest of the year. Compared to competing on the road, the Rockets aren’t a bad home team, considering their record. Houston is 5-4 at Toyota Center, but only 3-13 when they play as the road squad. And for a moment, it seemed the Rockets were aiming to kick these road spurns off the road.
The Rockets held a narrow halftime lead, 54-51, but they simply didn’t play with the same sense of urgency the Spurs did coming out of the break. San Antonio outscored the Rockets 39-23 in the decisive third period that gave the Spurs control for the remainder of the contest. San Antonio’s best player didn’t abide Houston’s efforts at garnering a road win, either. Keldon Johnson played like man-possessed, leading the Spurs with 32 points on a sizzling 14-for-21 shooting from the floor. San Antonio’s face of the future… possibly? Well, the young stud (another draft-night steal the Spurs snagged late in the first round with the 29th overall pick) displayed his talent for the entire league to witness on Thursday night, showcasing his future All-Star credentials. Tre Jones also chipped in an above-average 26 points to seal the victory for San Antonio.
Jabari Smith Jr. scored a career-high 23 points, draining four of his seven threes, and continues to show promise on the offensive end. After a slow start to his career, Houston’s promising rookie is shooting the ball with higher efficiency and confidence over his last several games. A good sign considering his defense has been solid to begin his NBA campaign. Alperen Sengun secured a 16-point, 11-board double-double. A solid game for the squad’s blossoming center, but Sengun is talented enough to average a double-double. Be patient Rocket fans, youth is a gift and a curse when you’re growing as a team. And Jalen Green struggled to find his stroke in the Alamo City, scoring only 14 points on 5-for-17-shooting. Complacency killed any chances of a Houston victory tonight. The Rockets are beginning to show up for the contenders, but they need to treat every opponent equally. If Houston doesn’t come out with the energy they displayed in Phoenix or against Philly, they’re going to be in trouble for the rest of what could be a long season. Luckily, the Rockets play their next seven games at home, their first long home-stand of the season… hopefully Houston can seize advantage during this upcoming lengthy home stretch of the season.