Sub-optimal
The Rockets report, brought to you by APG&E: Rockets fall to Golden State 116-103
Dec 25, 2019, 7:12 pm
This is a bad loss for the Rockets - there's no getting around it. Losing to a Warriors' squad without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on Christmas Day is about as embarrassing a loss as you're going to get in the NBA. It wasn't just that Houston lost - it was the manner in which they lost.
This game boiled down to a couple things: the Rockets' failing to respond to the Warriors' doubling and trapping James Harden and Houston's poor defensive effort. The Rockets have seen double teams all year so there's no reason for them to be frazzled by it at this point in the season. However, Russell Westbrook could not seem to get it going in the first half (6 of 17 from the field and 0 of 3 from three-point range) and the Rockets simply could not hit shots. James Harden shot 6 of 10 from three-point range, but everyone else combined for 10 of 41.
Houston's defense was also porous all game, particularly Clint Capela. Capela's rim-protection was about as bad as you're going to find and as a result, only played 29 minutes. He ended the game a -20 and the Rockets quickly shifted to their lineups with P.J. Tucker at center. Even with Tucker at center, the Rockets still couldn't get it together defensively and as a result, the Warriors made them pay with their fourth quarter run.
Star of the game: James Harden is probably the only Rocket that played well tonight. Harden logged 24 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals on 9 of 18 shooting from the field and 6 of 10 shooting from three-point range. However, Harden could only attempt 18 field goals because of the Warriors' aggressive trapping and doubling scheme.
HARD3N https://t.co/fF9AAkgCUe— Houston Rockets (@Houston Rockets) 1577312369.0
Honorable mention: This is a rough. I suppose you can say Russell Westbrook played the least bad among the non-Harden Rockets'? Westbrook had 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists on 11 of 32 shooting from the field, 0 of 8 from three-point range, and 8 of 8 from the free throw line. This game ends the high efficiency streak Westbrook has been on for the prior 7 games.
Key moment: The fourth quarter is really where the Rockets let go of the rope. Usually in a game like this, the underdog team is going to make a run at some point in the game and for the Warriors, that was the 3rd quarter. It is up for a team like Houston to take the onus upon themselves and respond big in the fourth quarter. However, the Rockets folded. They let their poor defensive habits carry over into the fourth (113.6 defensive rating tonight) and they couldn't knock down open shots. The Warriors outscored the Rockets' 24-17 and Houston could not buy an open jumper if it was free.
Up next: The Rockets return home to Houston at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday to play the Brooklyn Nets.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.