This won’t be one of those 2,000 word recaps that I do at times. In fact, it will mark the season debut of Bullet Points – The Lazy Man’s Friend(tm)
- The Rockets lost the two previous game, which were by no means twins, due to the same issue, essentially. That is to say, bad shooting. Against Phoenix, the Rockets shot it so badly they didn’t break 100 points. Not scoring 100 points in a modern NBA game usually spells defeat, but to the Rockets credit, they did hold the Suns to 102 points. The problem is they shot 36-94 overall, for 39%, and 10-35 from three point range, for 29%. They did make their freethrows at around 90%. The game before that, against the Timberwolves, it was much the same story. 43% overall, 35% from three. When the Rockets can’t shoot it from outside, they will typically lose. Why? Generally because there is one player who can get to the basket and do anything there regularly, Alperen Sengun. If he isn’t doubled, or he’s neutralized, it can be a long night of no one open for the Rockets.
- Tonight featured the Rockets against a Denver team that just doesn’t strike the same fear into opponents they did a few years ago. Still, they were 5-3 coming into tonight, which doesn’t sound great, but would, if extrapolated to a full season, come to about 50 wins. 5 of 8 isn’t bad in the NBA. Would the Rockets be able to hold Denver on defense, which they couldn’t do against the TWolves. Could the Rockets score more than the paltry 99 they mustered against the Suns? Could they overcome the new, pinstriped, white jerseys they’d worn for all three losses.
- In a word, yes, but it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy because the Rockets starting lineup more or less played the Nuggets even. Now, you might think that the Rockets would decide that despite the lack of success, they’d just keep doing the same thing. You’d only be partly right.
- One of the Rockets big advantages over Denver seemed to be their depth. Denver just doesn’t have much compared to the Rockets, who are nonetheless down three centers at the moment. The heavier bench lineups seemed to pull away from the Nuggets. This allowed the Rockets to go into halftime with a 14 point lead, which grew to as much as 19 before the Rockets hit one of those dreaded scoring lulls from last season, where what most would think of as their best lineup just can’t score or defend.
- So, did the Rockets keep at it, keep doing the things that cost them the lead? They did not. They went small, and pulled Alperen Sengun from the game. It’s not that Alpie was bad, he was 9-17 for 20 points, 12 rebounds, 8assists to 2 turnovers, with a steal and a block. But the mobility edge, especially on defense, and running off misses, was pronounced.
- The bench did good work, especially around the beginning of the fourth quarter. Tari Eason, in my opinion, continues to build a good case for 6th man of the year.
- The Rockets ended up shooting it well. They shot 41 of 91 overall, for 45%, and 14 of 38 from three point range, for 37%. They didn’t take a ton of freethrows, but made 14 of 17 for 82%. Denver shot 37 of 83 for 45% overall, but a woeful 8-29 from three point range (28%).
- The Rockets absolutely crushed Denver on the offensive glass, 15 to 7, and that showed up in the Rockets attempting 8 more shots than the Nuggets. It wasn’t an especially high paced game by modern standards, but Denver plays currently at the slowest pace in the NBA, and if an opponent counters that with extra chances, they can get into trouble, as we say tonight.
- It’s great to break the Curse of The New White Jerseys after so short a run. Now that’s been proven, we don’t need to see them again.
- The Rockets are 8-3, which currently has them essentially in a tie for 3rd place in the “Why are you looking at the standings in early November?” stakes.
- Until next time!
- The picture with this article is Alpie rejecting Jokic, which means any comparisons are over. Alpie wins.
