Location: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790
Online: Rockets App, SCHN+
Time: 7:00 CST
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun
Raptors: Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Sandro Mamukelashvili
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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The shine has come off of Rockets coach Ime Udoka. After helping turn the team around, his failures on offense and rotation management have really came to a head as the Rockets push to hit the next level. Instead, the Rockets have hit a plateau. A lof times, when teams hit that cap out with a coach, they make a move. So what would you like to see the Rockets do with Ime Udoka following this season? Do you want him retained, fired, or do you want the Rockets to hire a offensive coordinator? This isn’t what you think the Rockets will do. What would YOU do? What would you like to see happen?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back with the results later this week!
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The Houston Rockets had a gut check game against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday and failed miserably, being dominated by the Spurs, who shot 58 percent from the field, to the tune of a 145-120 San Antonio victory.
The Rockets had no defense, as the Spurs got pretty much whatever they wanted, with Victor Wembenyama leading the way with 29 points, and they also got 23 from Stephon Castle and 20 each from Keldon Johnson and De’Aaron Fox, who also had 10 assists.
As for the Rockets, they got 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks from Kevin Durant on 7-for-12 shooting from the field, as well as 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists from Amen Thompson, who was 8-for-15 from the floor.
Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr. had 17 points each, with Reed going 3-for-10 from deep to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists, while Smith had 5 rebounds and 3 assists to round out Houston’s double-digit scorers.
The Rockets showed that they were not quite on par with some of the west’s best, as they lost the season series to San Antonio 3-1. They also fall to the fourth seed in the west with a 39-24 record, on pace for a slightly worse record than last season. If they playoffs ended today, the Rockeys would take on the Los Angeles Lakers, which is an admittedly good matchup for them, but do you have any real faith in the Rockets going anywhere this postseason? I know that I do not.
But it could also get worse. The Rockets are only two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns for a Play-In spot. Falling down to the Play-In is not out of the question.
The Rockets need to find an answer for the shooting discrepency. They were just 8-for-28 from deep, while the Spurs were 21-for-40. That’s almost a 40-point swing on three-point shooting alone. You’re not going to win much basketball that way.
Anyway, the Rockets will return to action on Tuesday with a home game against the Toronto Raptors. That’s a 7pm CST start.
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Location: Frost Bank Center — San Antonio, Texas
TV:NBC / Peacock
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790
Online: Rockets App, SCHN+
Time: 7:00 CST
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun
Spurs: De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagne, Victor Wembenyama
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The Houston Rockets were able to rebound from an ugly loss to the Golden State Warriors that featured some horrid play down the stretch by closing out the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night with a strong fourth quarter to come from behind and drop the Blazers 106-99.
Houston used a 23-4 run in the fourth quarter and held the Blazers to many misses in what was a turnaround from the fourth quarter and OT versus the Warriors. Alperen Sengun had 28 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a block while shooting 11-for-15 from the field, while Amen Thompson had 26 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and a block. He barely missed, shooting 11-for-12 from the field.
Kevin Durant had 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, but shot just 8-for-18 from the floor and had 8 turnovers. KD and Sengun combined for 14 turnovers between them. Reed Sheppard finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks. He was 3-for-8 from deep as Houston’s only player who hit more than one three-pointer. In fact, the Rockets had a very 90s-esque statline, shooting just 5-for-19 from deep for the game. Reed drew another start with Jabari Smith Jr. back to nursing his sore ankle.
The Rockets outshot Portland 54 percent to 40 percent, but Houston’s 22 turnovers kept the Blazers in the game until the decisive fourth quarter. Portland was led by Jermai Grant with 21 and Jrue Holiday with 20.
The Rockets move to 39-23 on the season and sit firmly in fourth place in the Western Conference. If playoff seeding was today, they’d be taking on the Denver Nuggets in the first round, an interesting matchup to say the least. They are also currently on a 51-win pace, or one game worse than last season’s team.
They’ll return to action on Sunday when they take on their Texas rival San Antonio Spurs.
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Location: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
TV:Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790
Online: Rockets App, SCHN+
Time: 7:00 CST
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun
Trail Blazers: Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Matisse Thybule, Jerami Grant, Donovan Clingan
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Location: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
TV: Prime
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790
Online: Rockets App, SCHN+
Time: 6:30 CST
Rockets: Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun
Warriors: Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Gui Santos, Gary Payton II, Draymond Green
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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Now that the season is starting to wind down, we wanted to swing back around about the Rockets’ playoff chances. We did a similar poll earlier this season. But based upon what you are seeing now, tell us what you think is the most likely outcome of this Rockets postseason?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.
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The Houston Rockets built up a big lead against the Washington Wizards, and then they had hold on towards the end and a fourth-quarter rally by the Wiz, finishing the game with a 123-118 victory.
The Rockets were led by Alperen Sengun, who finished witgh 32 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and a block, but he did turn the ball over 8 times. Sengun shot 12-for-20 from the field. Houston also got 30 from Kevin Durant, who also had 7 rebounds, but he also racked up 6 turnovers, making 14 between KD and Alpie out of the Rockets 20 total turnovers. .
And this was with good play by a point guard. Reed Sheppard had his first career double-double. He played 42 minutes, finishing with 19 points on 7-for-18 from the floor, 4-for-11 from deep, to go with 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks for a monster stat line for Reed. Of course, in the post game, coach Ime Udoka mentioned that he expects Jabari Smith Jr. to be back soon and Reed to head back to the bench, but that’s a convo for another day.
Amen Thompson also pitched in 22 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists on 10-for-15 shooting, to round things out for the Rockets.
The Wizards were led by Bilal Coulibali, who finished with 23 points, and Sharife Cooper who had 21. Trae Young was also ejected from the Wizards bench, while Tari Eason was ejected for the Rockets. That gave Dorian Finney-Smith for Houston 27 minutes of playing time. He had 5 points and 6 boards on 2-for-6 shooting, 1-for-1 from deep.
The Rockets move to 38-22 on the season and still sit in third place in the Western Conference, while the Wizards fall to 16-44 on the year. The Rockets are now off until Thursday, when they will return to action against their arch nemesis the Golden State Warriors.
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Location: Capital One Arena — Washington, DC
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790
Online: Rockets App, SCHN+
Time: 6:00 CST
Rockets: Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun
Wizards: Bub Carrington, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibali, Anthony Gill
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