HOUSTON – Even an ugly win is still a win. The Houston Rockets continued their winning streak at home, securing their tenth straight victory as they defeated the San Antonio Spurs with a final score of 93-82 on Monday night thanks to what (in some small Rockets circles) will come to be known as the Tari Eason flu game.
Riding the momentum of playing at the Toyota Center, the Rockets now boast a respectable 11-9 record, including an impressive 10-1 record at home, placing them as the seventh seed in their first 20 games of the season. This achievement is significant in the highly competitive Western Conference and marks a considerable improvement over the past three seasons.
Looking at the Monday night box score, the offense delivered one of its weakest performances, with disappointing showings from the starting lineup. Together, they managed to make only 18 out of 63 shots, resulting in a lackluster 28.6% field goal percentage. Big man Alperen Sengun, in particular, had one of his weakest performances in terms of taking care of the basketball, committing six turnovers. Overall, the Rockets shot just 34.4% from the field.
Tari Eason: Houston's Glue Guy
Even when the shots weren't falling, the most important aspect the Rockets can rely on is their defense and guys who can perform well on a consistent basis; More specifically, Tari Eason.
Eason was drafted by the Rockets last season as the 17th pick in the 2022 NBA draft. Standing 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wing span, Eason is your prototypical glue guy who can attack the rim, capably defend all positions, and provide relentless energy off the bench.
These aspects effectively displayed his performance Monday night when the starting squad desperately needed him. Eason was all over the floor, scoring 18 points on 50% shooting and 40% from deep. On the boards, he notched 14 rebounds, including four offensive rebounds and two steals. One crucial steal occurred by swatting the ball off rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama into the hands of Jabari Smith Jr., initiating a fast break which led to an easy Amen Thompson layup.
The LSU product has improved his outside shooting this season as well, shooting at an effective 37% clip on 2.1 attempts per game, increasing by 3.4% compared to his rookie season. Without Eason's monster performance, the Rockets could have lost just their second game at home along with snapping the Spurs 16-game losing streak in the process.
Relentless Energy
Eason's mindset when grabbing a defensive rebound is always going coast to coast to initiate the fast break and catch the opponent's defense off-balance. It's a perfect catalyst to supplement the Rockets starting five, especially in the event that their offense doesn't perform on a given night. Even when his numbers don't fill the stat sheet, his intangibles are what really make him a dependable asset. On the perimeter, Eason holds opponents to a field goal percentage of 26.8%.
“I try to take what the defense gives me,” Eason said. “Especially with that second unit. I think our strength is to kinda play fast. When we come into the game, we're trying to do a better job these last few games to get out on a run. I think that's alluded to our strengths…I'm definitely trying to push the break.”
Flu Games In The Clubhouse
This putrid offense from the Rockets Monday night may be attributed to a couple of reasons. Primarily, the team has been dealing with multiple respiratory illnesses over the past few days. Notable players who are sick include Dillon Brooks, Reggie Bullock, Jock Landale, and Eason himself. Bullock, a strong 3-and-D wing veteran, was listed as out due to illness prior to the Spurs game. The illness currently surrounding the team may have translated into the lack of energy displayed on the offensive end against San Antonio.
“I felt better after the first game going into the OKC game, Eason said, following the game. “Then everything hit me. Respiratory, cough, nose, throat, stuff like that. Had to take an IV before the [Spurs] game, trying to get myself going, but just trying to get better the next few days.”
When asked if the Spurs game was his Michael Jordan “Flu Game,” Eason joking added, “Not putting it up there. It's my flu game.”
The Rockets aim to continue their home surge against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night and then face them again on the Grizzlies' home floor on Friday night. Memphis continues to regress from seasons past, holding a 6-16 record. The Ja Morant-less team has lost their last two matchups and currently ranks third to last in the Western Conference. Hopefully, Houston can recover from the many illnesses they've been dealing with and field a healthier team in their upcoming games.
Follow Us
Subscribe