Rockets Blast Past Spurs, 118-106, to Win Season Series
Wire to Wire. Efficient Prayer. I-10 Victors.
In a rare occasion, Houston never trailed against San Antonio, as the Rockets beat the Spurs, 118-106 on Wednesday night at Toyota Center. The vast majority of Houston’s games have been close and competitive. It was nice to see the Rockets get a comfortable wire-to-wire win. The victory gives Houston the edge over San Antonio in the I-10 Rivalry Series this season, with the Rockets winning three of the four matchups. With Victor Wembanyama sidelined, the Spurs aren’t the same team. If Wemby can healthy next season, this rivalry should be amped up a notch in competitiveness and intensity, with both of these squads on the rise towards becoming future contenders. As for this season, San Antonio has pretty much slipped out of playoff contention, as the Spurs now boasting a 24-33 record, which pits them in thirteenth place in the competitive Western Conference. Meanwhile, Houston remains in fifth place in the West, although the Rockets still have an opportunity to grab the second seed with a strong finish to the season.
Amen Thompson led Houston with 25 points on a very efficient 12-for-15 shooting from the floor. Twin also chipped in 9 boards and 5 assists in the win. Jalen Green added 21 points, and Dillon Brooks provided 19 points to round out the top scorers for the Rockets in their latest victory. On a night when Alperen Sengun struggled offensively, scoring only 9 points, Jeff Green came off the bench with another impressive showing, scoring 13 points in 20 minus of action. Rookie of the Year favorite Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson scored 22 points apiece to pace the Spurs. And despite the final score showing Houston winning by a dozen, this game wasn’t close any moment, with the Rockets leading by as many as 28 points en route to the blowout victory.
After beating San Antonio, Houston now improved to 6-8 on the second half of back-to-backs this season. Coming up, the Rockets will now get another couple of days off before they host the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night to close out this three game home-stand. Houston is winless in two attempts against the Kings this season, with both losses coming earlier this season in Sacramento. As the Rockets will try and avoid their first sweep of the season, Fred VanVleet is finally expected to make his return to the lineup after an eleven game absence due to an ankle injury. Houston has gone 5-6 without FVV in the lineup. It’ll be nice to have a fully healthy Rockets squad, as the team prepares for the final stretch, with only 23 games now remaining in the regular season.