Rockets Ready for Liftoff! Rockets Look to Build Momentum with Back…

The Houston Rockets are bouncing back from a difficult loss against the Utah Jazz with two straight victories. They’ve played much better basketball in their two games since, returning their defensive effort to their previous form. Both sides of the ball have looked better for the Rockets, which is an important development for a team still trying to make up ground after a tough losing streak before the All-Star Break.

Houston showed some resilience in a clutch victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The team held on to a hard-fought win after Alperen Sengun’s ill-advised turnover and Damian Lillard’s late attempt from 3-point range.

Houston increased its defensive activity, keeping Milwaukee under 100 points. The Rockets hadn’t held a team currently in the top 10 of their respective conferences under 100 since a win against the Atlanta Hawks a month ago.

The return of Houston’s defense is necessary if the team wants to hold home-court advantage in the first round. The Rockets haven’t performed as well on the defensive end in recent games, especially during their six-game losing streak. Houston’s main issues with defense showed themselves most in the clutch. Opposing teams found success breaking down the Rockets’ defense at the end of games.

Houston also struggled sometimes to respond offensively when scored against. The Rockets have a bad habit of lowering their level of play in the game’s final moments. It’s a trait that nearly sunk their chances at victory against the Bucks, and it’s something they’re looking to change as the postseason approaches.

Houston finished a clutch victory against the Bucks, but their following game against the San Antonio Spurs was already out of reach by the start of the fourth quarter.

San Antonio is missing contributions from its best player Victor Wembanyama, and De’Aaron Fox has battled some injuries in recent weeks. The Spurs didn’t have a competitive outing against the Rockets. They never threatened to take the lead as Houston held the advantage from buzzer to buzzer.

Part of Houston’s success was their impressive effort on defense. The deep reserves allowed more scoring at the end of the game, but the starters played well on the defensive end. None of the Spurs’ starters scored into double digits. Keldon Johnson was San Antonio’s best offensive player, but no other player performed well for the Spurs.

Offensively, the Rockets kept their foot on the gas from the start. Amen Thompson had a strong outing with 25 points. Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks added 21 and 19 points respectively.

Houston’s game against San Antonio was an example of everything it depended on to reach this point of the season. The Rockets always depended on a committee of players to contribute to their offensive efforts. On the other side of the ball, they have several proficient defenders and otherworldly athletes to stay in front of opposing offensive players.

Houston returned to a winning brand of basketball in their past couple of games, but it’ll have to show this level of play consistently to make any steps forward to climbing the Western Conference standings.