Tonight’s Rockets win over the the 5th place Toronto Raptors was just the thing for a Rockets team that was soundly thrashed by the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
Almost everything a Rockets fan might want was there tonight. We saw a defense that held the Raptors to 18 points below their season scoring average, and also below 100 points. The offense managed to just about reach NBA scoring average, which is a rare accomplishment lately against teams with an above .500 record. The team shot it well, and only Amen played a high number of minutes before tomorrow night’s contest against the Nuggets in Denver.
Things didn’t start all that well, with the Rockets turning the ball over a bunch in the first quarter. What might have been a great defensive showing, at, say, 24 points for the Raptors, was marred by the Rockets allowing 8 Raptor points off turnovers in the period. Fortunately, Toronto couldn’t hold the Rockets down with their own defense, as the Rockets put up an equal 29 points in the first.
The Rockets continued their league average scoring trend in the 2nd quarter, putting up 29 points once again, while holding the Raptors to only 20 points. The key to this wasn’t just making shots, it was cutting the live ball turnovers that plagued the Rockets in the first quarter. There was only one liveball Rockets turnover in the 2nd, by Reed Sheppard, but he immediately atoned by chasing down Jamal Shead for a block. The huge difference in scoring quarter to quarter gives some credence to the turnover theory.
The Raptors made it close in the third quarter, putting up 34 points, much of it from very good shooting from RJ Barrett, defending the honor of Canada, and Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes playing well. also, but in a less Canadian way. The Toronto surge in the third wasn’t turnover driven, they just played better offense and defense than the Rockets, and shot a goodly number of free throws.
The Rockets entered the fourth leading 86-83, but would go on to score 20 of the next 26 points. The Rockets went on to expand that lead to 111-93 with around three minutes remaining, when Toronto waved the red and white flag and pulled their starters. Garbage time was Dick’s moment to shine, but his outburst came too little, too late.
There’s not much to criticize from the Rockets perspective after the somewhat sloppy first quarter. KD lead the way with 29pts on a pristine 12-16FG and 4-5 from three. He filled the stat sheet as well, with 8 rebounds, 2ast, 2stl, 2blk against 2to. He played a low 33 minutes, so hopefully he’ll look as good tomorrow night. Alpie, after an initial rough start, pulled things together for 14pts, 12rbs, 4ast. He still doesn’t look right to me, but perhaps this is as right as he’s going to get, as Clint Capela, no matter how effective, seems locked in at about 14 minutes. One might think 10 rebounds in 13 minutes might earn more playing time, but that feels impossible.
The best Rockets tonight, along with Durant, were Jabari Smith Jr, and Amen Thompson. Jabari looked better, quicker, and more decisive that he has in some time. There weren’t a lot of Dribblin’ Adventures, and he once again seemed to realize, as he does occasionally, that he can just shoot over nearly anyone. Watching Kevin Durant do this all the time must be encouraging at some level. Jaswishy scored 23 on 8-14 shooting, 3-7 from three, and added 4rbs, 2ast, and 2stl. He only recorded one turnover, and that was mostly bad luck.
Amen had a very good game, being both larger, faster, or both, than almost anyone Toronto could throw at him. He attacked the rim almost constantly, and didn’t avoid contact to try to make a tougher shot, as he often does. Thompson had 23 efficient points on 6-10 shooting, and 10-14 on FTs. He added four boards, 6 assists to 3 turnovers, and notched a block. He played 39 minutes, though, and that’s a worry heading to altitude tomorrow night. Amen also made his weekly 3pt shot on one attempt. Perhaps this will all mark the beginning of a more forceful, impactful, offensive trend for Amen.
Of others getting significant minutes, Dorian Finney-Smith played 21 minutes and looked pretty good. He didn’t fill up the box score, but he looked useful, and not lost. His minutes were strongly positive, and that’s a refreshing change. If Finney-Smith has turned a corner, that would be excellent news for the Rockets.
Reed Sheppard had one of his least impactful games in a while. going 2-10, with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, against 4 turnovers. Hopefully he’s past the point where he disappears after a bad game, because the Rockets need his offense, especially, even if they didn’t need it tonight. The topper was Brandon Ingram doing his thing, but managing to only go 3-12, with few free throws. He pulled the Raptors down with a team leading -18. Even Scottie Foster wasn’t horrible tonight.
We can hope we’ll see the Rockets play this way going forward – good defense, coupled by (hopefully!) some emerging offensive organization, and perhaps, resultant good shooting. A more aggressive and effective combo of Jaswishy and Amen racking up free throws on dangerous rim attacks, changes the Rockets outlook considerably.
It was a good night “For The H”, with “The H” being Houston, not Hater.
