Rockets Edge Spurs, 103-101, for 4th Straight Road Win
Perfect Trip. The Landale Effect. Buying In.
For the first time this season, the Rockets completed a perfect road trip. Houston finished off their three-game journey with a 103-101 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. Fred VanVleet led Houston with 21 points, and Jalen Green added 16 points, but it was Jock Landale, who made his presence felt late in the contest. Due to Sengun’s absence, Landale saw a season-high 26 minutes, and didn’t disappoint. The Aussie finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, to go along with some great hustle and defensive plays. Expect to see much more of Landale the rest of the season as he will be garnering a lot of what would’ve been Sengun’s time on the court.
After losing then first matchup in the second game of the season, Houston has now won the season series over the Spurs, 3-1. They’ve been especially forceful defensively on Victor Wembanyama. The Rockets held Wemby to only 13 points, well below his season average on Tuesday night.
It may have taken some time, but Houston is finally buying in to Ime Udoka’s game plan, and the team’s road struggles are now just a past murmur. The Rockets have won four straight on the road, and three straight games overall. After starting the season 5-24 away from home, Houston has now gone 4-0 over the last quartet of road games. Up next, the Rockets return home to host the Washington Wizards, who boast the NBA’s worst record. It’s a great chance for Houston to keep the winning ways traveling as they return home on Thursday night.