ROCKETS REACTION
The injury bug, PJ Tucker's absence, and Kevin Porter Jr's impressive debut
Mar 12, 2021, 9:07 am
ROCKETS REACTION
In the words of Victor Oladipo, "The whole year has been a whirlwind", which is correct. The Houston Rockets have suffered from James Harden's departure, injuries, and the lack of chemistry. Coach Silas mentioned that the season has suffered because of those components. It was said that PJ Tucker is frustrated with not playing with another competitor. Tucker ended up leaving Sacramento mid-game because of the situation.
"We're going to try to figure out something that works for him and works for us as far as him not being on the team anymore. I was under the assumption that he was going to play tonight, and he didn't play. That was disappointing," Coach Silas said. "He decided that he was just not really with it, and we decided that that's a good idea. Let's move on."
Speaking of injuries, Eric Gordon scored 17 points in the first half but then hurt his groin. Gordon did not return. Before the game started, it was announced John Wall got dinged up after bumping knees with another player during Wednesday's practice. One positive note, Christian Wood has become healthier and participated in Wednesday's practice. He still didn't play against the Sacramento Kings for precautionary reasons. It became a scary sight when Kevin Porter Jr. almost injured his knee during the game. Hopefully, the Rockets can avoid the injury bug for the rest of the season, as they only have eight players to deploy versus the Utah Jazz Friday night.
More bad news for the Rockets: Coach Stephen Silas said Eric Gordon would get an MRI to determine the severity of h… https://t.co/BgL40Kw0xu— Tim MacMahon (@Tim MacMahon) 1615528871.0
Kevin Porter Jr. had a nice debut
Porter had an impressive night because of his playmaking ability. He was able to create a double-double for himself. Kevin finished Thursday night's game with 13 points and 10 assists, including three steals and one block. He shot 45 percent from the field versus the Kings. Porter showed active hands in the passing lanes, which made him dangerous in transition. He was able to find his teammates on fast breaks, and showed the ability to create for himself.
Porter is slowly getting comfortable inside the Rockets' offense. He is showing aggression and discipline when running the offensive sets for the Rockets, which is impressive. That allows Porter to find his teammates for open opportunities, which allows the game to become easier for him. Porter's game will continue to get better because of the support system on the Rockets' coaching staff.
.@Kevinporterjr with a double-double in his Rockets debut. https://t.co/A9R91LyMXh— Houston Rockets (@Houston Rockets) 1615526551.0
Hopefully, the Rockets can get healthy and lineup some trades before the deadline. That should be their focus moving forward.
Next up: The Rockets head to Utah to play the Jazz on Friday night.
Fred VanVleet scored 26 points, Amen Thompson added 25 and the Houston Rockets avoided elimination with a 131-116 rout of the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series Wednesday night.
he's COOKIN' 🔥 pic.twitter.com/e5dUnmrRxE
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) May 1, 2025
Game 6 is Friday in San Francisco.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr threw in the towel early in this one with the game out of hand. A layup by VanVleet midway through the third quarter made it 93-64, and Kerr called timeout and cleared his bench.
Houston coach Ime Udoka followed suit with about a minute to go in the third and his team up 105-76. He put all his starters back in with about eight minutes left after Golden State cut the lead to 109-92.
Dillon Brooks added 24 points on a night when all five Houston scored in double figures.
DB finishing strong 💪 pic.twitter.com/vTNqLAFGZd
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) May 1, 2025
A 9-5 run by the Warriors got them within 114-101 before a fracas broke out with about four minutes to go. Pat Spencer pushed Brooks and then was ejected after headbutting Alperen Sengun in the ensuing scuffle.
Houston went on a 7-2 run after that to put the game away.
The Rockets put together their best game this postseason to extend the series after losing both games in California, including Game 3, which Jimmy Butler sat out with an injury,
They raced to a 14-point lead after one quarter and by the time Stephen Curry made his first basket on a 3-pointer midway through the second, they led 55-32.
They had a 27-point lead at halftime behind 19 points from VanVleet.
Butler managed just eight points in 25 minutes on 2-of-10 shooting after combining for 52 points in the two full games he’d played in this series.
Curry was 4 of 12 for 13 points after scoring more than 30 points in two of the first four games to move the Warriors within a game of clinching the series.
The Warriors made 15 of 44 3-pointers and shot 41.7% overall. The Rockets made 13 of 30 3s and shot 55.1%.
By extending the series, the Rockets have a chance to become the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Houston has done it twice, most recently in the 2015 Western Conference semifinals against the Clippers.
The Warriors were on the wrong end of such a comeback, losing the 2016 NBA Finals to LeBron James and Cleveland after having a 3-1 advantage.
Golden State has dominated the Rockets in the playoffs, eliminating them four times between 2015 and 2019.
VanVleet caught up with Vanessa Richardson after the win.
“The playoffs are about constantly improving.. getting better game to game.”
Let’s build on this & handle business back in The Bay 👏 pic.twitter.com/M8pOOUqPxv
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) May 1, 2025