Sub-optimal
The Rockets report, brought to you by APG&E: Rockets fall to Golden State 116-103
Dec 25, 2019, 7:12 pm
Sub-optimal
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.
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!