Rockets Furious Rally Falls Short in 127-121 OT Loss to Warriors
Deja Blues. Jekyll and Hyde. H-Town Heartbreak.
By the third quarter, some fans began to leave the arena at Toyota Center on Saturday night. Houston trailed by as many as 31 points in the second quarter, and the deficit remained in the 20’s for the majority of the next frame. But those fans missed out one incredible basketball game, despite a disappointing result for the home fans. Fueled by Tari Eason, who had the game of his life, the Rockets stormed all the way back, even gaining a one-point lead in several instances late in the fourth quarter. However, Eason and his teammates were gassed in extra time, as Houston managed only 2 points, shooting 1-for-12 from the floor in overtime. The result was a heartbreaking 127-121 OT loss for the Rockets. This defeat now marks the 14th straight time Houston has lost at the hands of the Warriors. Even without Stephen Curry, Golden State shot the lights out in the first half to build a huge lead. Eason and Amen Thompson both had their best games of the season off the bench for the Rockets. Eason scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Thompson supplied 18 points and 11 boards. And both players brought the intensity on the defensive end, which sparked Houston’s rally. The comeback would’ve been the biggest in franchise history had the Rockets pulled out the victory.
After five solid outings, Jalen Green had his worst game of the season, scoring only 7 points on 2-for-13 shooting. Green’s had a history of struggling against Golden State. Expect him to bounce back in Houston’s next contest. Alperen Sengun scored 14 points and snagged 10 rebounds, but the big man was once again benched in the fourth quarter, an early season trend that needs to change for the Rockets to reach their potential this year. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 21 points, and hit some big shots to help Houston send the game to overtime. After a slow start, Bari is rounding into form, but the Rockets need more from Sengun, and Fred VanVleet, who’s shooting woes continued on Saturday night.
Through six games this season, we’ve seen the Jekyll and Hyde Rockets. One half they play well, and the other they don’t. It’s happened in each game so far. Houston either falls behind early, and then mounts a huge comeback, or they build a big lead and let their opponent back in the contest. The results have been different in who comes out the victory, but the structure of each match has been relatively the same. Houston needs to play four solid quarters of basketball in the same game. If they can’t, this whiplash Jekyll and Hyde style of play is not going to result in a successful season. At best, the Rockets will finish around .500, same as last season, if they continue playing this way. Hopefully Houston can play a complete game for the first time this season, as they host the New York Knicks for a Monday-night matchup. New York will be the second toughest opponent the squad has faced all season, but they’re not unbeatable. Hopefully the Rockets can at least keep the fans in their seats come Monday night.