Rockets Rally, Hold-Off Blazers, 104-101, For 4th Straight Win
Comeback Kids. Home Dipo. Best-Kept Secret.
“Is that a thing?” Rockets Head Coach Stephen Silas replied after he was asked about the WOW (Wall, Oladipo, Wood) factor in Houston. The WOW Factor played together for the first time on Thursday night, as the Rockets stormed back from a 20-point deficit to defeat the Blazers, 104-101, and extend their winning streak to four games. Houston trailed by 15 after a miserable first quarter, but led by one at the half, and were able to hang on by the skin of their teeth for a nail biting victory. Damian Lillard dropped 30 points for Portland, but with no C.J. McCollum to save them this time, the Rockets were able to fend off the pesky Blazers. Victor Oladipo led Houston in scoring with 25 points. Christian Wood made another claim for this year’s Most-Improved Player. Wood posted a double-double again, which is starting to happen on a highly basis, notching 22 points while grabbing 12 boards. And John Wall chipped in with 20 points, and 6 dimes, as the Rockets improve to 8-9 on the season. Houston’s right in the thick of the playoff picture in the West. The squad needed a grind-out, comeback victory. And Thursday provided the Rockets with a character-building victory, as we approach the end of the first quarter of the season.
Since being traded to the Rockets, Victor Oladipo has felt right at home in Houston. And the Rockets have actually been a better team since they traded James Harden. The numbers don’t lie, and chemistry and mental toughness goes a long way into playing into whether or not a team’s capable of contending with the elite. Before the trade, Houston was 3-6, with the 22nd ranked defense. Since shipping their disgruntled superstar to the Big Apple, the Rockets are 5-3, with the top-ranked defense in the entire league. After the game, Wall made a subtle jab at Harden, mentioning the difficulties of reaching your goals when everyone doesn’t buy in. And he’s right, as Houston just looks like they’re having more fun without a ball-dominant player with Dennis Rodman-esque shenanigans off the court. The squad is still gelling chemistry-wise. This was the first game in which Oladipo, Wall, and Wood all played. Once these guys are more comfortable with each other, this Rockets team has the potential to be dangerous.
And despite new faces and new teammates on the court in Houston, the Rockets narrowly escaped an embarrassing loss to an injury-riddled Portland team at home. John Wall and co. escaped by the skin of their teeth, and will have to better as the squad hits the road for a five-game road trip starting on Saturday. These new-look, surging Rockets will face another team on the rise, the New Orleans Pelicans. After a slow start, Zion and the Pels are coming off an impressive win over the Milwaukee Bucks. It won’t be easy against Zion, the NBA’s next-best thing, and the Pelicans on Saturday night, but Houston’s capable of starting the road trip with a win in the Big Easy. And for those of you like Stephen Silas still asking if the NBA’s best-kept secret, Houston’s WOW Factor, is a thing, allow me to provide the answer… you bet it is. And it’s just getting started.