Tate the Great: Short-Handed Rockets Rally to Top Thunder, 114-110
Tate Takeover. Bonafide Shooters. Scoot Back.
“A great man doesn’t seek to lead. He’s called to it.” A quote from the epic film Dune that resonates with Houston’s resurrection on the road Wednesday night. Short-handed, and trailing by double-digits in the final period, Houston rallied for an impressive 114-110 victory, their first road win of the season. The Rockets showed more resiliency tonight than in any game this season. It’s the first time this season Houston’s won a game when trailing entering the fourth quarter. The Rockets scored 41 points on a blistering 69% shooting in the final period to pull off the comeback. They lost arguably their two best players, Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr., to injuries. Both guys left the court in the first half and didn’t return. No Wood, no Porter Jr., and no Jalen Green. So how on Earth did the Rockets come back to win their fourth consecutive game? Well, with their two leading scorers out, someone had to lead the way. And that someone was Jae’Sean Tate. A guy who never seeks to make it on SportsCenter, but instead makes the winning play time after time again. Houston’s energizer-bunny doesn’t garner the attention of players like Wood, KPJ, or Jalen Green from the national media, but he’s just as crucial to the Rockets success. And Tate had the game of his life on Wednesday night. He scored a career-high 32 points on a potently efficient 11-for-15 shooting night. Tate also supplied 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and a whopping 5 blocks, an incredible feat for a player who stands at 6’4. A stat-line accomplished by only 7 players in NBA history, all Hall-of-Famers. Tate was hot from the start, and fueled Houston’s comeback, scoring 13 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter. But if you know Jae’Sean Tate, he has the capacity for performances like this.
Tate has always played with a chip on his shoulder. Number Eight for the Rockets went undrafted in 2018. Afterwards, Tate did what many players do in his situation, and went to play overseas. Tate first travelled to Belgium and played for the Antwerp Giants, and then made a trip to Australia, one of the more competitive pro leagues in the world outside of the NBA. While down under, Tate was the go-to-guy and main option for the Sydney Kings. He came into the NBA as a rookie last season ready, one of the bigger surprises for Houston. And this year, Tate’s only improved his skills and efficiency. In my opinion, he’s the best “role player” in the NBA. Even if his shot’s not falling, Tate plays so hard every night that he finds a way to impact the game. And Wednesday night was Jae’Sean’s Show, and he sure didn’t disappoint.
The Rockets had other players step up as well. Daniel Theis saw his first playing time since the winning streak began, stepping up once Wood went down with an injury. Theis, who coach Stephen Silas has called the “definition of a pro,” grabbed 9 boards, along with 2 assists and a block in 21 minutes, helping secure the paint area defensively for Houston. Armoni Brooks scored 18 points, hitting 7 of his 10 shots, including some big ones late. Garrison Matthews continues to play well in a starting-role. More importantly, he doesn’t lose confidence. After missing his first three shots from distance, Matthews nailed his final four threes, registering 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting. Brooks and Matthews are pure bonafide shooters. The duo does more than just knocking down the open three. These two can get their shot off against any defense and still make a solid attempt, as opposed to catch-and-shoot players, or guys who need shots in rhythm. The more space Houston creates with their passing, combined with driving the ball to the basket, equals more looks for Brooks and Matthews on the perimeter. Alperen Sengun dazzled once again limited minutes. Al-P dished out 4 assists, scored 5 points, and also blocked two shots in only 13 mintues of action. At only 19 years old, he’s the best passer on Houston’s team, and Rocket shooters will benefit from Sengun’s amazing court awareness. Kenyon Martin Jr. scored 12 points, and Josh Christopher chipped in 10 points in his best game of the season. Kevin Porter Jr. looked poised for a big night before he left with an injury. Scoot scored 10 points, hitting 3 of his 5 attempts from distance. Porter Jr. also finished with 2 rebounds, an assist and two steals in only 13 minutes.Hopefully Scoot’s injury isn’t too serious, but KPJ’s been bothered by a thigh bruise injury. He missed the three games before the Rockets’ winning streak began, and Houston can only pray he recovers quickly. His absence, along with Wood’s, are both huge punches to the gut for this young Rocket squad. The severity of Wood’s injury is also unknown at the moment. At the moment, neither seem to be too severe.
The Rockets now scoots back to Houston for four more home games. This contest in Oklahoma City was the lone road game during this stretch which Houston is playing seven of eight games at home. And the Rockets took care of business. Can they keep their winning streak, now at four games, alive back at Toyota Center? This latest victory made the Rockets the first team in NBA history to win 4 games in a row after a 15-game losing streak. They’ll need to play hard, very comparable to their performance tonight, especially if the squad is still short-handed. And if Porter Jr. and Wood remain out… at least the Rockets know who’ll answer the call to lead.