Burnt Rubber: Rockets Run Out of Gas, Drop Rubber Match to Spurs, 111-106
Cracks in the Wall. Missing Christian. Negative Buzz.
For the first time in the John Wall era, the Rockets lost with their new star point guard on the court, and seemed a bit off-track. Houston fell to San Antonio, 111-106, on Saturday night, as too much DeMar DeRozan, along with questionable officiating, kept the Rockets from winning the rubber match between these in-state rivals. Wall led Houston with 27 points, and Eric Gordon chipped had another solid game for the Rockets, topping the 20-point mark once again as EG finished with 26 points on the night. But those were pretty much the only bright spots for a Houston team that was desperately missing Christian Wood. San Antonio drives it to the basket almost more than any team in the league, and the Spurs got everything they wanted in the paint without Wood’s interior defensive presence. The Spurs led for nearly the entire game, until the Rockets managed to snag a two-point lead late, but Houston couldn’t hold on, and especially had no answers for DeRozan, who had arguably his best game of the season. San Antonio’s lethal midrange threat scored 30 points on 9-for-16 shooting, to go with 8 boards and 7 dimes, carrying the Spurs to victory as the game was close in clutch time.
The Rockets will be without their Wood for a few more games, who certainly would have prevented some of those DeRozan and other Spur layups. With 3 games in 4 nights coming up again this week starting on Monday, Houston needs to find a way to come together, and win as a team with whatever lineup Coach Stephen Silas employs on the floor. DeMarcus Cousins registered 12 points and 11 boards, but wasn’t as effective as he was in the prior games he started for Wood. The Rockets need DeMarcus to step up big-time during this stretch of games in which the team will be without Wood.
Victor Oladipo had his worst game as a Rocket. The former All-Star managed only 9 points on a 4-for-14 shooting night. With his name swirling in trade rumors, one has to wonder if it’s affecting his play on the court. It sure looks like it, as Oladipo’s Rockets debut in Chicago where he scored 32 points, seems like it’s in another time dimension, some forgotten past that will never return. Whatever it is, something’s not right with Vic. His energy and passion has noticeably decreased in the last few games, and without John Wall, Eric Gordon, and Christian Wood in their upcoming game in Charlotte, the Rockets will need Oladipo to the primary ball-handler. And he’s going to have to look like the Vic who torched the Bulls if Houston wants a chance to win short-handed.
The Rockets now head back on the road for five of their next six games. Houston’s quick pit stop back home didn’t turn out the way the squad wanted. But the Rockets have been pretty solid on the road lately. Winning five of their past six road game, Houston has a chance to bond together and tighten (or fix, in Oladipo’s case) this team’s chemistry to get back on the right track.