Quality win
The Rockets report, brought to you by APG&E: Rockets defeat Grizzlies in Memphis 107-100
Nov 4, 2019, 10:15 pm
Quality win
While not the most exciting or noteworthy game, the Houston Rockets entered the FedEx Forum on Monday after an embarrassing blowout loss to Miami the night before and redeemed themselves with a quality win. Behind a strong James Harden performance (44 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) and without Russell Westbrook, the Rockets finally put a few things together defensively and had the good fortune of their three-pointers fall at an average rate of 34% (17/50) after struggling so mightily from behind the arc the first 6 games of the season.
The biggest thing Houston could draw from this game is the defense they played in the second half. Houston allowed a combined 410 points over their past three games and were finally able to put together some stops, particularly in the third quarter. In defense of the Rockets, they've had a pretty staggering shooting disparity with their opponents to start the season, specifically from three-point range. Houston was shooting 30.7% from three-point range (27th in the NBA) in their first 6 games and their opponents were shooting at an unsustainable 40.4% (highest in the league). Some of that mellowed out on Monday as the Grizzlies shot a putrid 12% (3 of 25) from three-point range.
Eric Gordon and Clint Capela both showed signs of life, which is a development the Rockets have sorely needed. While Gordon didn't shoot the ball exceptionally well, he relentlessly attacked the basket, scoring 16 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in the process. Capela, while not great, was present on defense and tallied double digit rebounds (13) for the first time since October 30th in Washington. Houston needs both Gordon and Capela to build off of the energy they brought tonight if they want any chance of attaining a top seed in the Western Conference.
🗣 SLAM GORDON!! https://t.co/HBdOhiP32K— Houston Rockets (@Houston Rockets) 1572923039.0
The Rockets still have a lot to work on as they try and climb out of the hole they've created for themselves early on defense. Their transition defense still needs a lot of work, they're still allowing entirely too many back cuts, leading to wide open layups, and their energy to start games hasn't been up to par. Make no mistake though, this was a good win for Houston, especially when you consider they are coming off a back to back and lacked their second best player. Ideally, the Rockets can build off of this and try and string together similar wins in the weeks ahead.
Jam3s Hard3n https://t.co/9hCTL44jg4— Houston Rockets (@Houston Rockets) 1572924478.0
Star of the game: While James Harden looked miserable defensively in the first half, he more than made up for it in the second half and was a consistent offensive performance throughout the game. Harden logged 44 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals on 61.2% true shooting. The notable development though is that he excelled from three-point range tonight (7 of 16 from deep) and that's been a point of struggle for him early on this season. Nobody was expecting Harden to continue shooting so poorly, but the Rockets badly needed him to bounce out of it soon.
Honorable mention: Danuel House shot the ball poorly, but his energy was there for the Rockets all night. House scored 15 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, blocked 3 shots, was active in transition, and maintained his impressive steadiness from the first 6 games of the season. It's really become cliche to talk about how good he's been for the Rockets early on.
Key moment: Houston's third quarter stretch may be the best defense they've played all season. They limited the Grizzlies to 16 points on 8 of 23 shooting and only allowed 6 three-point attempts (no makes). The Rockets would be really well served if they can play two quarters of every game like they played in this third quarter. The energy and effort was present from start to finish.
Up next: The Rockets will return home on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. to play the depleted Golden State Warriors.
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!