Rockets Close Road Trip with 120-107 Loss to Warriors
Out of Gas. Game of Runs. The Deadly Third.
In their first backend of a back-to-back set, the Rockets fared better than expected. Houston didn’t get blown out by 30, but the squad ran out of gas in a 120-107 loss to the Warriors. The defeat in San Francisco caps a five-game road trip for the Rockets, by far their hardest trip of the season schedule-wise. Look at the standings, all those teams, even some Houston has played at home (the Utah Jazz) are near the top of the standings in the West. These first ten games have been cruel to the Rockets to start the young season, but the schedule will ease up a bit as the year moves on. Christian Wood struggled for Houston, scoring on 4 points while being hounded by Golden State’s Draymond Green. Jae’Sean Tate had another stellar game, leading the Rockets with 21 points and 14 boards. Jalen Green continues to struggle shooting the ball. The rookie finished with only 9 points on 4-for-12 shooting, including a dismal 1-for-6 from long range. Kevin Porter Jr. scored an underwhelming 11 points, but did supply 7 assists, as KPJ struggles to learn the reigns of the point guard position. Daniel Theis keeps playing well since returning from injury. Theis scored 14 points and grabbed 5 boards. And Alperen Sengun, in only 16 minutes of action, continues to be a revelation on both ends of the court. Sengun finished with 12 points (on 3-of-4 shooting), 5 rebounds, an assist, and a block. Hopefully Stephen Silas will give Sengun more playing time in the future. The rookie has proven with his early play he’s worthy of more court time.
Steph Curry had 20 points for the Warriors, but this game, unlike many Golden State wins, wasn’t about Curry. Houston’s latest lost came primarily at the hands of two men: Jordan Poole and Otto Porter Jr. In the first quarter, Jordan Poole did his best Klay Thompson impersonation, scoring 15 of his team-leading 25 points in the period. And Otto Porter Jr. broke up a close game near the end of the first half, turning it into a double-digit deficit by knocking down three consecutive shots from deep. Otto finished with 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting from downtown, along with 9 boards for the Warriors.
Despite trailing 69-61 at halftime, the Rockets narrowed the deficit to 3 points near the middle of the third quarter, trailing 83-80. However, the Warriors steamrolled Houston for a 15-0 run late in the period to make it a 98-80 deficit for the Rockets. A lead Houston would never come close to overcoming. After a five-game road-trip, and the backend of a back-to-back, the squad’s fatigue became evident in the fourth quarter. The benches emptied, and guys got some much-need rest.The third quarter continues to be the downfall of this Rockets’ team, among other factors. Houston got outscored 34-22 by the Warriors in the third period on Sunday. And overall, the Rockets have lost the third quarter in every game this season except their lone win over the Thunder, and in a loss to the Jazz that was already out of hand. Houston needs to figure out a way to come out of the break with the resilience to finish all four quarters, or they’re going to continue to shoot themselves in the foot.
Well, the hardest part is over for the Rockets. That’s the good news. The bad news is their still 1-9, and despite going for a high lottery pick again in this year’s draft with no playoffs in sight, it would be nice to see the squad get a few wins on the board. Jalen Green and company get the perfect opportunity as they return home to start a three-game home-stand. The first matchup features the #1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons, one of only two teams with as many losses as Houston. Hopefully, the squad will take advantage against an easier opponent on Wednesday after experiencing the NBA’s version of murderer’s row these past couple weeks.