EVERY-THING SPORTS
How the landscape in Houston sports is giving off 2017 vibes
Apr 13, 2022, 12:19 pm
EVERY-THING SPORTS
There are good times on the horizon. If things go well, all three major pro sports teams in Houston will be in contention for playoff appearances at the same time. I know, I know. The Texans are not good right now and just traded a franchise quarterback. The Rockets just finished with the worst record in the league for the second year in a row. The Astros are back but lost a top star for the second consecutive offseason. Things are fragile, but there is a silver lining for all three. This hasn't been the case since October 2017.
Back then, things were looking up all across the board for every franchise of the major three. The Texans had drafted their franchise quarterback. While they'd end that season 4-12, they went into the bye week 3-3. After a half of football by Tom Savage in the opening game, Deshaun Watson came in and showed why he was drafted so high. He tore his ACL after the week eight loss to Seattle and that sent the season into a tailspin. Despite an abrupt end to their hopes, that team had a bright future.
The 2016-17 Rockets had come off a .500 season previously and would begin that season showing some promise after signing some new pieces to go along with James Harden. They'd finish 3rd in the West losing to the Spurs in the conference semis. It was the beginning of a period of play in which they would be thought of as contenders. Meanwhile, the Astros were busy winning the 2017 World Series and bringing this city its first major pro sports title since the '94-'95 Rockets. They were young, refreshing, and very talented. This was the first of five consecutive ALCS or more appearances.
I see something similar on the horizon. The Astros may have lost a couple stars, but they're still rolling. Some key guys are getting healthy, and the core is older, but this team still has the firepower to contend. They entered this season as a +1000 to win it all which was the third-best odds on the board at the time. The Rockets have a future star in Jalen Green, as well as a couple other guys that show some potential. Owning a potential top three pick in a loaded top half of the draft and armed with an additional first rounder could help propel this team into contention a lot sooner than what most thought. The Texans now own two first rounders in this draft and the next two after that. Rebuilds in the NFL are aided by wise decisions on free agents and drafting well. If they can take advantage of the opportunities in front of them, they too will be back in the playoff picture sooner than later.
In life, we sometimes have to take a few steps back before we can truly move forward. You'll get knocked down and taken off the path you're on many times. What defines you is how many times you continue to get up and persevere despite your circumstances. Each of these teams has had some challenges lately. Some have had more than others. However, I can see the Texans, Rockets, and Astros all giving the city of Houston something to be proud of at the same time very soon.
Jamal Murray had 39 points, Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points and nine rebounds and the Denver Nuggets beat Houston 116-111 on Sunday night to snap the Rockets' nine-game win streak.
Murray, who scored 17 in the first half, had 17 in the third quarter as Denver outscored the Rockets 39-22 in the quarter to take a 96-79 lead.
Russell Westbrook had 14 points off the bench, Aaron Gordon scored 13 points with eight assists and DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, which shot 51% and were 10 of 21 on 3-pointers.
Jalen Green scored 30 points, and Dillon Brooks added 21 points for Houston. Alperen Sengun had 17 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and Steven Adams finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Rockets, which shot 44% and were 11 of 34 from behind the arc.
Trailing 109-100 with 1 ½ minutes left, Houston used a 7-1 run to cut the lead to three on a Sengun layup with 21 seconds left, but Christian Braun made two free throws with 19 seconds remaining to push the lead back to five.
Nuggets: Nikola Jokic missed his fourth straight game with left ankle impingement, and Denver improved to 2-2 with him out of the lineup.
Rockets: Houston remains in second place in the Western Conference with 10 games left, but the Nuggets closed to within a game of Houston.
Sengun made one of two free throws with 14 seconds remaining, and Murray made two free throws two seconds later to push the lead to 114-108.
Houston finished 22 of 34 from the free throw line, while Denver made 18 of 26.
Denver hosts the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, while Houston hosts the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.