Rockets Silence Thunder, 124-91, Notch Season’s First Win
Future Vision. Knocking on Wood. Finding Balance.
Houston’s second game of the season played like a complete opposite to their opener in Minnesota. The Rockets dominated their homecoming, silencing the Thunder 124-91, in a contest where Houston never trailed. Kevin Porter Jr. controlled the game with more precision, allowing only two turnovers compared to his nine giveaways in the first game. KPJ scored 20 points, and dished out 9 dimes, as the main playmaker on offense. Jalen Green scored 9 points on 4-of-11 shooting as he continues to adjust to play at the NBA level. Eric Gordon had his second straight solid performance. The Rockets’ Sixth Man scored 22 points to lead the bench. Ja’Sean Tate had an energetic bounce-back performance after an underwhelming first game. Tate scored 16 points, grabbed 14 boards, and dished out 5 assists. This is the Tate Houston saw last season, and should see for the foreseeable future. And last, but certainly not least, Christian Wood powered the Rockets offense and dominated the paint. Wood scored 29 points and snagged 14 rebounds, as Houston’s big man looks poised for All-Star consideration this season.
This is the vision, or more or less a blueprint of what the future should look like for the Rockets when all cylinders are clicking. Granted, many improvements are in store. But Houston played a fantastic game in response to getting blown out in their opener. Sure, OKC is no titan, but it’s hard to beat any team by 30 points in the NBA. Houston exceeded expectations in their second game. Can they continue to rise above their opponents as the challenges become tougher? We’ll find out soon enough.
Fourteen Rockets saw playing time on Friday, one more than the thirteen Stephen Silas put on the court in Minnesota. The squad is still trying to find balance, and playing one of the worst teams in your second game only helps chemistry. But true tests of character and talent come against the mighty. And Houston’s schedule gets a lot tougher coming up. The Rockets face the Celtics next on Sunday in Houston. And to get an idea of what to expect, they should recur memories of how Minnesota attacked Houston from the tip in their first game. Enjoy games like Friday while you can Rockets fans… they will be few and far between this season.