Cutting it close
The Rockets report, brought to you by APG&E: Rockets escape Atlanta with narrow 122-115 victory
Jan 8, 2020, 9:59 pm
Photo by Getty Images
Even without Russell Westbrook and James Harden shooting as badly as he did (9 of 34 from the field), Houston's effort from the end of the second quarter onwards was truly dissapointing. This was a game the Rockets should have won going away, but they allowed Atlanta to climb back into it and make it close at the end.
By halftime, it really looked like the Rockets were going to repeat their last performance against the Hawks. Harden was rolling (29 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds) and the Rockets had a strong 77-62 lead.
Then the Rockets went on to miss a barrage of three-pointers (5 of 27 from three-point range) and fell off a cliff defensively, giving Atlanta a window to make this game close.
It also didn't help that Houston didn't have an answer for Trae Young, who had a career night tallying 42 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and 1 block on 55.4% true shooting.
Star of the game: Clint Capela was a matchup nightmare for Atlanta all night. The Hawks had no answer for Capela sprinting down the court and being an engaged lob threat. Capela ended the game with 22 points, 22 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals on 9 of 14 shooting from the field and 4 of 4 shooting from the free throw line.
Honorable mention: Normally James Harden logging 41 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals would be more than enough to earn him star of the night. The problem was that did all this on 9 of 34 shooting from the field and 4 of 20 shooting from three-point range. Harden had 22 points in the first quarter on good efficiency, but shot 3 or 24 shooting from quarters two through four.
Key moment: After taking a 23-point lead in the second quarter, the Rockets completely let go of the rope in the third quarter.
Up next: The Rockets travel to Oklahoma City on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. to play Thunder in what will be an emotional homecoming for star guard Russell Westbrook.
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Zack Short hit a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning after Christian Walker tied it with a sacrifice fly and the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Saturday night.
Short hit a 1-1 pitch to right field off Hoby Milner after Robert Garcia (1-5) walked two to load the bases.
Texas took a 4-3 lead when Adolis García hit the first pitch from Bennett Sousa (3-0) for a single — scoring automatic runner Marcus Semien.
Kyle Higashioka hit a solo home run off Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth to tie it 3-3. It was the first blown save for Hader after 25 straight to begin the season.
Jose Altuve hit his 17th homer — a two-out solo shot in the first off Jacob deGrom to tie it 1-1 after the Rangers scored an unearned run on Framber Valdez’s wild pitch.
Yainer Diaz homered for the 14th time for a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Mauricio Dubón hit his sixth homer off Jacob Webb for a 3-1 lead in the seventh.
Semien hit his 11th homer to cut it to 3-2 in the eighth.
Valdez allowed an unearned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in six innings. The Astros have won his last 12 starts with him getting the win in nine of them.
DeGrom allowed two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings with eight strikeouts.
The Rangers struck out 19 times — two short of the club record for an extra-inning game.
Key moment
Short entered as a pinch runner in the ninth and was just 4 for 17 before his game winner.
Key stat
Houston hasn’t lost a season series with division rival Texas since 2016.
Up next
Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-3, 1.62 ERA) starts Sunday’s rubber game opposite Astros RHP Hunter Brown (9-3, 2.21).
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