The first game of a back-to-back and three-game road trip presented the Rockets with the usual problems accompanying these scheduling quirks. How the Rockets responded spoke volumes.
On Sunday, the Rockets rebounded from a 16-point, first-half deficit to claim a 114-110 victory over the Toronto Raptors. With the win, Houston snapped a four-game skid in Toronto. Houston will face the Charlotte Hornets on the road on Monday, seeking to knot that season series after coughing up an 18-point lead in their home and season opener back on Oct. 23.
How Houston rallied past the Raptors might play a role in the outcome against the Hornets. The Rockets were without reserve forward Tari Eason (rest) for a second consecutive game and their sluggish start in Toronto — the Raptors produced a 35-point opening period — inspired Houston coach Ime Udoka to dig deeper into his bench, with Jae’Sean Tate and Cam Whitmore joining the fray and offering the production the Rockets sorely needed to mount their comeback.
“There was a plan to play them,” Udoka said. “Obviously we didn’t get off to the best start so I went with them a little sooner than planned. I wanted to inject a little life into us.
“I thought they both were really good. Jae’Sean gave us some of the switchability there to take some of their guys out of the action they were running. We were able to switch a little bit better. Cam sparked us offensively, got out in transition and made some shots. Both of those guys were great at giving us a boost.”
The Rockets have relied on their depth to key their meteoric rise in the standings, but their rotation typically features Amen Thomson and Eason off the bench with either a second big — Steven Adams or Jock Landale — or a backup point guard — Reed Sheppard or Aaron Holiday.
Tate and Whitmore offer additional insurance on nights when the rotation is shorted by injury or ineffectiveness. Eason is a vital part of the Rockets’ stingy defense; Fred VanVleet shot 1-for-10 and scored two points in his return to Toronto. Having more options should serve the Rockets well in the second game of a back-to-back, particularly against an active team like the Hornets.
The Hornets’ 108-98 road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday was their 12th defeat in their last 13 games. Charlotte was without three of its top four scorers — LaMelo Ball (calf), Brandon Miller (ankle) and Tre Mann (back) — in the loss, leaving an inexperienced roster more depleted. For Monday’s game, Miller and Mann have already been ruled out while Ball is not on the injury report.
Only the Pelicans and Wizards have fewer wins than the Hornets’ seven victories this season. Overcoming the combination of youth and attrition has presented a significant challenge, but it’s one Charlotte continues to tackle with the vigor it did in Philadelphia.
“Fighters. Consistent competitors,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “We talked about (how) we just wanted to focus on being us. I thought the group had a great open mind to a lot of different defensive coverages, understanding who we were trying to take away (and) what we were trying to take away and sticking with it. I was proud of the fight.”
–Field Level Media
