The elite defense has returned. After falling behind by as many as seven points, the Houston Rockets stayed in Saturday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans with unstoppable defense in the final stretches. On a career-high night, Alperen Sengun and the Rockets narrowly defeated a fully healthy Pelicans team on the road, securing a tight 106-104 victory.
With 37 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, the Turkish center is solidifying his case for an All-Star selection. This, along with Jabari Smith Jr.'s 26-point double-double, has set the Rockets' starting frontcourt ablaze recently. Along with this more in depth, here are some key takeaways from Houston's gutsy win.
A possible frontcourt duo?
It's time to tell the league what needs to be heard: if Alperen Sengun isn't an All-Star this season, Rockets fans will riot.
Following this game, the Turkish center now averages 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 53.3% shooting. Sengun also scored 14-of-17 from the free-throw line Saturday night, a promising sign given his 70.4% accuracy. His attempts at the line included a comical moment when he drew a shooting foul against Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas, fouling him out in the fourth quarter immediately after checking in. Throughout the game, Sengun's quick footwork in the paint completely picked apart Valanciunas' defense, sending him into quick foul trouble.
“I’m not that strong,” Sengun mentioned. “But I’m fast, and he’s not fast like me, so we were just attacking him.”
Right after the game, Rockets sideline reporter Vanessa Richardson briefly interviewed Sengun on his performance, with Tari Eason eagerly standing beside him declaring voters to choose him for the NBA All-Star Game.
“Alperen Sengun is an All-Star. I'm just letting everyone here know,” Eason beamed. “The Wizard is an All-Star. You heard it here first.”
Not only has Sengun been exceptional this season, but Jabari Smith Jr. has also shown significant improvement in his sophomore campaign. After his 26-point performance, Smith is averaging 27.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks on 63% field goal shooting and 60% from three-point range in his last three games. During this stretch, he notched a career-high 34 points against the Atlanta Hawks.
Quietly, Smith's overall shooting splits of 48.7/36.8/80.3 are comparable to those of a borderline All-Star talent. At just 20 years old, it's too early to define his ceiling, but the Auburn product is arguably turning into the better second overall pick.
Defense makes a comeback
Another reason for the Rockets' win was their defense in the closing moments. Aside from comfortably handling a G League-caliber Dallas Mavericks squad, Houston faced a challenging stretch in the past three competitive matchups, allowing an average of 132.3 points per game.
This victory over a playoff-level team like the Pelicans restored Houston's reputation as a top-three defense, especially in the final quarter. Coach Udoka's squad stopped the Pelicans from pulling away after the third quarter, limiting them to just 20 points on 7-of-19 shooting.
The success wasn't due to the Pelicans' missed shots. The Rockets were skillful on the perimeter, effectively preventing open three-pointers. New Orleans struggled from beyond the arc, making only 8-of-31 attempts, a mere 25.8%.
Inside the paint, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green, or Alperen Sengun were always there to challenge shots. Even Zion Williamson, one of the NBA's best slashers, had difficulty finding scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter. Despite scoring 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, Williamson was limited to three field goal attempts during crunch time, as Houston focused on denying him the basketball.
Same thing, different day
You might wonder why Jalen Green hasn't been mentioned yet. There's a reason: in just 22 minutes, Green scored nine points on 2-of-8 shooting, including 0-of-4 from deep. It's no secret Green has been bad in his third season and has been a liability in the Rockets' starting lineup. While he has started every game this season, he doesn't finish them.
In this particular game, Green didn't return to the court after Udoka benched him with six minutes left in the third quarter. This was the longest Green had been benched this season.
Currently, Houston plays better on both offense and defense when he's on the bench. The notion that the team performs better without their 2021 second overall pick is increasingly becoming a consensus. It's a bittersweet situation, mainly because the Rockets are winning games without him. Nearly every player on the roster understands and effectively plays their role, except for Green. The one thing he was expected to excel at, scoring, has been far from impressive in his third season.
Short Christmas break
The Rockets get a two day break during Christmas weekend before taking on Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. This game begins a seven-game homestand at the Toyota Center. If Houston can carry this defensive momentum against Indiana, it will further cement their reputation as a top defense in the NBA.
Follow Us
Subscribe