ROCKETS BEAT THUNDER, 102-89

Christian Wood leads Rockets past Thunder securing 3rd straight win

Christian Wood leads Rockets past Thunder securing 3rd straight win
Rockets win again! Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

The Houston Rockets have played incredible in the last three games. Although it’s only a three-game winning streak, the Rockets are making huge adjustments with their spacing and composure. Oklahoma City Thunder coach, Mark Daigneault, says the Rockets are playing with a certain “swag.”

“They are swagging out right now offensively,” said Daigneault. “The last time we played this team they were in the midst of a long losing streak and you could feel that in the game. They have beaten two quality opponents and shot the ball well.”

Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr. have led the Rockets with a sense of urgency. Both have dominated at their position. Coach Silas, who was on a suspected hot seat, moved Wood to the center position and took Daniel Theis out of the rotation, which seems to be working. Wood is spacing the floor better in pick-and-roll, transition, and from the perimeter for contested and open shots. Defensively, Wood has been a problem for other teams. In three games, Wood is averaging 24.3 points, 15.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per contest. He has been a busy man for the Rockets. As I dive deeper into the analytics, Wood’s has 123.1 offensive and 103.2 defensive rating too.

Hopefully, Wood maintains his great play, as the Rockets face off against three more easier opponents, including the Thunder again before they play the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets. Wood is becoming more dominant and confident on the court. His aggression has allowed him to attack the rim off the dribble and create his own shot. Wood is even shooting the three-ball better at 58.3 percent off 4.0 attempts per contest the last three games. He made a huge shot versus the Charlotte Hornets Saturday night.

"He’s playing with a lot more energy than he was prior, and that is a majority of it,” Silas said. “He’s just trying really hard right now, but being able to roll to the rim consistently time after time..."

Wood is showing his versatility on defense, which is guarding 1-5 on the court. Watching him guard players off switches is impressive after he struggled last season. He has protected the rim well too, as that can worry opposing coaches inside the paint. Wood put in some extra time on his footwork and quickness during the offseason, and it’s paying off for the Rockets defensively. He is starting to look like the main anchor on defense.

Porter has taken more command of the offense, as Silas looks pleased. He is calling the offensive sets instead of looking for Silas for the next play. Porter is seeing the court better instead of turning the ball over. He had to sit a few games due to a minor injury but was able to observe while out.

“Just be me. I’ve been trying to be something I’m not,” Porter said. “After that injury, I was able to observe and I came back out and played my game.”

Although he is averaging 4.7 per turnovers per contest, Porter is becoming a better point guard by putting his teammates in position to score. Porter is understanding when to score and pass, which isn’t an easy task at point guard. He is starting to look more aggressive on offense because of the ability to get to the free throw line or attacking the basket. In the last three games, Porter is averaging 16.0 points, 10.7 assists, and 8 rebounds per contest. Versus the Thunder, Porter recorded his first triple-double, which the ending of getting his last rebound was hilarious. Josh Christopher yelled ‘GET THE BALL, GET THE BALL’, as the crowd cheered for Porter. Porter has posted a 120.5 offensive rating the last three games.

Porter is becoming a better on ball defender, as he clamped LaMelo Ball on the last possession in OT Saturday night. He even intercepted the pass on a pick-and-roll action ran by the Thunder. Porter is defending all the elements on defense. Porter is averaging 1.7 steals per game while playing defense. No room is given when Porter plays on-ball defense. Porter has a 103.3 defensive rating, which makes sense because of the tenacity shown.

Another bright spot shown on the Rockets offense is Garrison Mathews. He was picked up on waivers from the Washington Wizards before the season started. The Rockets assigned him to the Rio Grande Vipers before calling him up to play. So far, Mathews has looked like a professional sniper for the Rockets. He is a reliable kick-out shooter with a green light to shoot a highly contested shot. He doesn’t need much space to take a shot anywhere on the court and is a very patient shooter. Mathews is fixing the Rockets problems when it comes to needed outside shooting along with Armoni Brooks.

While starting for the Rockets and getting 32.7 minutes within this three-game winning streak, Mathews is averaging 17.0 points per game and shooting the three-ball at 50 percent and has a 77.1 true shooting and 76.7 effective field goal percentage. He deserves to be a starter because he defends, cuts to the basket, and drives. His versatility is huge for the Rockets. Mathews continues to blossom and makes shooting look effortless, as he is an incredible catch-and-shoot weapon at 58.3 percent the last three games.

The Rockets should go on a seven-game winning streak along with the three games they won already. When Jalen Green comes back, they should become more dangerous because of the rhythm that is being built with the team.

Up next: The Rockets face the Thunder again on Wednesday night.

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Houston Astros avoid the sweep beating the Athletics, 6-3

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Houston must improve in close games down the stretch and into October. Composite Getty Image.

While holding one’s breath that for a change the Astros aren’t publicly grossly underestimating an injury’s severity with Jose Altuve having missed the last game and a half with “right side discomfort…”

The Astros averting a sweep vs. Oakland Thursday was in no way a must-win, but getting the win allowed a mini sigh of relief. The Astros are NOT in the process of choking. Could they collapse? Sure that’s possible. Also possible is that they’ve just been in one more ebb phase in a season of ebb and flow. They certainly have left the door ajar for the Seattle Mariners to swipe the American League West, but with the M's simply not looking good enough to walk through that door the Astros remain in commanding position. The Astros made a spectacular charge from 10 games behind to grab the division lead. But there was a lot of runway left when the Astros awoke June 19th 10 games in arrears. September 3 the Astros arose with a comfy six game lead over the M’s. With Seattle blowing a 4-1 eighth inning lead in a 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers Thursday night, heading into Friday night the Astros' advantage is back up to four and a half games despite the Astros having lost six of their last nine games and having gone just 10-12 over their last 22 games. Not a good stretch but nothing freefalling about it.

While the Mariners have the remainder of their four-game series vs. the dead in the water Rangers this weekend, the Astros play three at the lousy Los Angeles Angels. The Astros should take advantage of the Halos, with whom they also have a four-game series at Minute Maid Park next weekend. Since the All-Star break, only the White Sox have a worse record than the Angels 19-31 mark (the White Sox are 6-43 post-break!). Two of the three starting pitchers the Angels will throw this weekend will be making their third big league starts. To begin next week the Astros are in San Diego for a three-game-set against a Padres club which is flat better than the Astros right now. That does not mean the Astros can’t take that series. The Mariners meanwhile will be still at home, for three vs. the Yankees.

There are some brutal Astros’ statistics that largely explain why this is merely a pretty good team and not more. As I have noted before, it is a fallacy that the best teams are usually superior in close games. But the Astros have been pathetic in close games. There used to be a joke made about Sammy Sosa that he could blow you out, but he couldn’t beat you. Meaning being that when the score was 6-1, 8-3 or the like Sammy would pad his stats with home runs and runs batted in galore. But in a tight game, don’t count on Sammy to come through very often. In one-run games the Astros are 15-26, in two-run games they are 10-14. In games that were tied after seven innings they are 3-12. In extra innings they are 5-10. The good news is, all those realities mean nothing when the postseason starts. So long as you’re in the postseason. In games decided by three or more runs the Astros have pummeled the opposition to the tune of 53 wins and 28 losses.

General Manager Dana Brown isn’t an Executive of the Year candidate, but overall he’s been fine this season. Without the Yusei Kikuchi trade deadline acquisition the Astros would likely barely lead the AL West. Brown’s biggest offseason get, Victor Caratini, has done very solid work in his part-time role. Though he has tapered off notably the last month and change, relief pitcher Tayler Scott was a fabulous signing. Scrap heap pickups Ben Gamel, Jason Heyward, and Kaleb Ort have all made contributions. However…

Dana. Dana! You made yourself look very silly with comments this week somewhat scoffing at people being concerned with or dismissive of Justin Verlander’s ability to be a meaningful playoff contributor. Brown re-sang a ridiculous past tune, the “check the back of his baseball card” baloney. Dana, did you mean like the back of Jose Abreu’s baseball card? Perhaps Brown has never seen those brokerage ads in which at the end in fine print and/or in rapidly spoken words “past performance is no guarantee of future results” always must be included. Past (overall career) performance as indicative of future results for a 41-year-old pitcher who has frequently looked terrible and has twice missed chunks of this season to two different injuries is absurd. That Verlander could find it in time is plausible. That of course he’ll find it? Absolutely not. His next two starts are slotted to be against the feeble Angels, so even if the results are better, it won’t mean “JV IS BACK!”

Presuming they hold on to win the division, the Astros’ recent sub-middling play means they have only very faint hope of avoiding having to play the best-of-three Wild Card Series. Barring a dramatic turn over the regular season’s final fortnight, Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown are the obvious choices to start games one and two. If there is a game three, it is one game do or die. Only a fool would think Verlander the right man for that assignment. No one should expect Brown to say “Yeah, JV is likely finished as a frontline starter.” But going to the “back of the baseball card” line was laughable. Father Time gets us all eventually. Verlander has an uphill climb extricating himself from Father Time’s grasp.

*Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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