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[Houston Rockets]

Rockets come back from a 25-point deficit to beat Philly in overtime 144-137

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

What just happened...?

The Houston Rockets walked on the floor tonight winners of their last six games, preparing to take on a team missing 11 players. If the 76ers starting five walked into your house, you wouldn’t know who they were. Yet, the jumped out early on the Rockets forcing Ime Udoka to call a timeout after a 14-9 run to start the game. Tari Eason scored the first 11 points for the Rockets and by the 5:34 minute mark in the quarter the 76ers had doubled up the Rockets 23-11. Udoka went to the bench quickly bringing in Jock Landale in place of Alperen Sengun, as the 76ers were getting anything they wanted on the offensive end.

The Rockets trailed by 16 (44-28) after one quarter as the 76ers could not miss from three-point range. The scored 44 points in the quarter on 16-of-24 shooting, including 9-of-14 from the three-point arc. Quentin Grimes, a Houston native, must have eaten his momma’s cookin’ before the game as we went 5-of-7 form the floor and scored 12 points. Tari Eason led the way for the Rockets with 11 points in the quarter.

Th 76ers did not cool off on thew second quarter, and the Rockets didn’t heat up. The deficit grew as high as 21 points with the Sixers shooting nearly 60 percent from three. Alperen Sengun had a goose egg on one miss in eight minutes by the time the midway point of the second quarter arrived. Anyone not named Tari Eason or Jock Landale was basically a no show offensively early on, and whatever defense was there was too late as the Sixers had caught fire.

The Rockets walked into the locker room down by 21 points (78-57) as they allowed a season high 78 points in the half. The Rockets were out-shot, out-rebounded, and just flat pout put played in the first half. Sixers had four players on double figures at the half, shooting 61.7 percent from the floor and 57.7 percent from three.

Sixers came out of the half on a 10-6 run to boost the lead to 25. Immediately triggering a timeout form Ime Udoka. A 12-2 run by the Rockets would finally bring them some hope, cutting the deficit to 93-79 with 6:27 left in the third quarter. The Rockets cut the lead to nine when Grimes knocked down a three to put them back up double digits. But the Rockets went back on a run fueled by Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks. The Rockets ultimately hit nine threes in the third quarter, shot 73.9 percent from the floor and dropped 45 points and walked off the floor headed into the final quarter with the game tied 102-102.

The 76ers opened the fourth quarter with 10-0 run. Quentin Grimes eclipsed 30 points and began demanding a double team, opening things up for his teammates. The Rockets offense went cold in the fourth quarter. With three minutes and change to go, Tari Eason fouled out of the game and picked up a tech, getting tossed from the game. The subsequent free throws put the Sixers up by 10. A three-pointer by Jabari Smith Jr. cut the deficit to seven with three minutes remaining. The Rockets execution down the stretch was not good at all. If they got stops, they turned the ball over on offense.

Quentin Grimes missed two crucial free throws late, hustled to his own rebound to take more time off the clock. After a defensive stop Dillon Brooks hit a three to cut the lead to four. Fred VanVleet drew a foul that was not called on a three-pointer, that lead to him making a hard foul on the other end that was inexplicably called a flagrant foul, and even more inexplicably was upgraded to a flagrant 2 and ejection after being reviewed.

The Rockets cut the lead to three with 27 seconds left in the game. Two free throws by Jared Butler put the Rockets down by 5. Jalen Green raced down the court and made a layup that cut it back to a three-point lead, then stole the ball at half court which prompted an Ime Udoka timeout. The Sixers decided to foul the Rockets to avoid a game tying three out of the timeout. Jabari Smith Jr. made the first free-throw when Ime Udoka decided to put Alperen Sengun in the game who had only played 15 minutes to that point. Smith missed his second free throw on purpose and Sengun got the offensive rebound and tipped it back in with 3.9 seconds on the clock to tie the game. Jalen Hood-Schifino missed a 15ft would-be game winner.

Between Quentin Grimes going nuclear, Alperen Sengun suddenly being the go-to guy again after sitting most of the game, a third Rockets player fouling put in Dillon brooks, and finding out Craig Ackerman lost a contact midway through the fourth quarter, overtime was insane. Alperen Sengun’s bucket to start the overtime gave the Rockets the first lead of the game and would not relinquish it. Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Green each hit a clutch three in the overtime, Sengun had five points in the quarter, and the Rockets overcame a career-high 46 points from Quentin Grimes to win the game 144-137.

The Rockets match their all-time record for biggest comeback, 25 down. It was surely a nominee for craziest game of the season, but the Rockets sweep the six-game home-stand and hang on to second place in the West for at least one more day. Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. led the way offensively with 30 points each. Jalen set a career high with 13 assists. Brooks and Eason each scored 20+, and Jae’Sean Tate (plus-minus of +30) and Aaron Holiday both had key moments in the victory.

No one will pretend that the Rockets had any business being down 25 points to the 76ers G-League team, but the fact that there was no quit and they didn’t roll over is a credit to Ime Udoka and his staff and to every player who hit the floor tonight. Credit to the 76ers for a valiant effort, but... scoreboard. The Rockets hit the road for a Florida road trip playing the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, and the Miami Heat on Friday. The Rockets hope to get Amen Thompson back before coming home to play the Denver Nuggets on March 23rd. Catch all the games on Space City Network, or listen on Sports Talk 790 AM.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...-to-beat-philly-76ers-in-overtime-144-137-nba

 

[Houston Rockets]

Potential Rockets NBA Playoff matchups: Who they want to see

Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Who do the Rockets wants to see in the first round?

With the NBA regular season winding down, it is time to take a look at potential playoff matchups for the Houston Rockets. Today we will be analyzing the best first-round matchup for the Rockets

Ideal Matchup - Memphis Grizzlies​

In 2024–25, the Rockets appear to have their number. In their four games this season, they have won three of them.

It’s true that regular season records don’t necessarily predict post-season outcomes. The post-season is a special time of year. We need basketball justifications for why the Rockets could defeat the Grizzlies before we can make any judgments about this game. However Houston beats the Grizzlies in the possession game.

The Rockets are determined to prevail in the struggle for possession. They are designed to outplay opponents in possession of the ball. By aggressively grabbing rebounds, playing defense, and minimizing their turnovers, they achieve this objective. The NBA’s top two rebounding teams are these two. One of the few teams the Rockets don’t have a significant rebounding advantage over is the Grizzlies. Houston is first in the league (48.4) and the Grizzlies are a close second (47.7). So, that’s now how the Rockets have been beating Memphis.

Additionally, Houston often wins the turnover battle. The Rockets are 15th in the NBA in turnovers per game (14.1), but that’s a bit misleading. Houston had been turning the ball over more without Fred VanVleet Perhaps his most distinctive skill is his assist-to-turnover ratio (5-to-1 this season). Houston had the 11th-highest number of turnovers (13.8 per game) in the NBA before the All-Star break. The ball is not as important to the Grizzlies. They rank 29th in the NBA with 16.3 turnovers per game. Only the woeful Jazz cede possession more often. A low turnover rate can be indicative of an offense that lacks dynamism. That’s true to an extent for the Rockets. Still, in the case of Memphis, the benefit of holding onto the ball outweighs the drawback of taking minimal risks. When one team can’t keep the ball, and the other doesn’t like to give it up, the latter team has a great chance of winning.

We’ll be back with the other half of this one: who the Rockets don’t want to see.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...f-first-round-opponents-nba-memphis-grizzlies

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic game preview

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Can the Rockets win their eighth straight game?

A running joke in the Playback room that Xiane and I have is that every achievement that this season’s Houston Rockets have earned is the first time it has happened “since The Bubble.”

For example, last year’s squad achieved a high point four games above .500 when they hit 13-9. They never hit that point again and clawed back to 41-41 at the end of the season. So as soon as Houston went to five games over .500 (and every number above it), I’ve pointed out that “This is the first time Houston has been X games above .500 since The Bubble.”

That Bubble squad certainly was a weird one, and the pandemic itself threw a lot into disarray. But on paper, that team was still better than this current iteration of the Rockets. That team featured James Harden at the end of his prime; Russell Westbrook still capable of triple doubles every night; Eric Gordon as the third scorer; P.J. Tucker and Robert Covington as key 3-and-D guys; and Danuel House Jr., Austin Rivers, and some dude named Jeff Green capable of scoring and making big plays.

Of course the season was cut short, but that team’s high water mark was 19 games above .500, which is the same number as the current Rockets.

So tonight, the Houston Rockets can go to 20 games above .500, which would be the first time since the 2018-19 season. That was Chris Paul’s second year in Houston. That team was 43-26 after 69 games, a full game behind tonight’s team.

Yes, the Rockets will be underdogs in any playoff (or play-in) series they play. They’re young and inexperienced. But Rockets fans have been through a lot of difficult times over the past six years. And tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic gives the Rockets a yardstick opportunity for fans to put those dark times firmly in the rearview mirror.

We’ll be in the Playback room tonight, so you should come join to watch the Rockets and talk about the game. Remember, we get a handful of VIP passes that we give out to anyone who wants to watch the game. No League Pass necessary!

Tip-off​

6pm CT

How To Watch​

Space City Home Network and Playback

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Reed Sheppard: OUT

Amen Thompson: OUT

Magic​

Cole Anthony: GTD

Jalen Suggs: OUT

Mo Wagner: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Friday night in Miami against the Miami Heat

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...alperen-sengun-paolo-banchero-jabari-smith-jr

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets riding a seven-game win streak, take on the Magic tonight in Orlando

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Rockets look to take game one of a two-game Florida roadie

Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic​

Saturday, March 19, 2025 @ 6:00pm CST​

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Location: Kia Center. Orlando, FL

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: SportsTalk790

Online: Rockets App

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Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun

Magic: Corey Joseph, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Franz Wagner, Pablo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.

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Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...reak-take-on-the-magic-tonight-in-orlando-nba

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets take care of business on the road, defeat Magic 116-108

Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Rockets win game one of the Florida two-step, extending the streak to 8.

Coming off of an overtime win versus the Sixers, where the Houston Rockets trailed by 25 to an injury riddled, lesser opponent, there would no excuse to come out and not show the Orlando Magic the respect any NBA team deserves. Ime Udoka certainly wasn’t playing around early, as he successfully challenged a foul call on Tari Eason 18 seconds into the game. The first quarter was not a teaching tape on offense for the Rockets, and the Magic started hot shooting over 50 percent halfway through the quarter. The Rockets were able to keep the game close by getting to the free throw line and making their shots from there going 10-for-10. In the last five minutes of the game the Rockets went on a 16-4 run to close out the quarter and head to the second with a 28-23 lead.

The Magic scored the first six points of the second quarter and retook the lead. The Rockets plagued by missed shots and turnovers saw the Magic lead climb to eight before the Rockets climbed back into the game with another run of 13-2. Ultimately the Rockets were able to pick up the offense and defensive pressure and finished the first half shooting 45.2 percent from the field and holding the Magic to 41.7 percent and take a 56-52 lead into the half after a logo three-point make by Fred VanVleet at the buzzer. Jalen Green led the way for the Rockets with 14 points.

The Rockets began to flex a bit in the third quarter and were able to stretch their lead out to eight points within the first four minutes. After that they started to flex a lot. A 12-0 run with four minutes left put the Rockets up by 15 points and ballooned the lead to 16 going into the fourth quarter. Three-point shooting was not great either way, but the Magic were really bad in the first two quarters. The Rockets shot 12-of-23 in the third quarter and hit 4-of-11 from three.

The Magic did outscore the Rockets by eight points in the fourth quarter, but the game never really felt in danger. Paulo Banchero and Franz Wagner played very well scoring 31 and 20 points respectively. The Magic outscored the Rockets in the paint and their bench outscored the Rockets bench, but the Rockets were able to get to the free throw line 32 times and make 29 of them. It wasn’t a great shooting night from the arc for the Rockets, but they did make more than the Magic, that in addition to winning the rebound battle was enough to keep the Rockets out in front for good and come away with a 116-108 win, their 8th in a row. Jalen Green led the way offensively with 26 points, and Tari Eason played another complete all-around game with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, and a blocked shot.

The Rockets will head to Miami to take on the Heat on Friday. Ime Udoka said it’s possible we may see Amen Thompson return in that game. With the Nuggets and Lakers playing tonight, this was big win for the Rockets as they try to keep themselves in second place in the Western Conference standings. A ninth win in a row would be even better. Check out the game on Space City Home Network or listen on Sports Talk 790 AM.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...eat-the-orlando-magic-116-108-nba-jalen-green

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets look to keep their win-streak alive tonight versus Philly at home

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Philly’s starting five could walk in to your watch party right now and you’d ask if they want a beer.

Houston Rockets vs. Philadelphia 76ers​

Saturday, March 15, 2025 @ 7:00pm CST​

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Location: Toyota Center - Houston, Texas

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: SportsTalk790

Online: Rockets App

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AD

Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun

76ers: Jared Butler, Quentin Grimes, Ricky Council, Justin Edwards, Guerschon Yabusele

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Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...rsus-philly-76ers-at-toyota-center-nba-sengun

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Miami Heat game preview

Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Rockets take their current win streak and try to break their South Beach losing streak

The Houston Rockets are 20 games above .500 for the first time since 2019.

That’s also the same year (not season) that Houston last defeated the Miami Heat. The Rockets have lost to the Heat nine straight times, which is the equivalent of about 18 straight losses if the teams played in the same conference. Houston broke a 15-game losing streak to the Golden State Warriors earlier this season, and tonight they can slay another demon in South Beach.

Houston comes in with the NBA’s longest active winning streak at eight games. The longest active losing streak in the NBA belongs to the Heat, who have dropped nine straight, which has dropped the proud franchise into tenth place in the East as I type this (they could be ninth again when you read this though).

The big attraction tonight is the return of Amen Thompson to Houston’s lineup and his impending rematch with Tyler Herro. The two got into a scuffle the last time these teams met, and Thompson received a two-game suspension for his part. The Rockets are a better team, especially defensively, when Thompson plays. It will be interesting to see how Ime Udoka handles the lineups since this is basically the first time Houston has been whole since early in the season. Starting isn’t as important in today’s NBA since guys regularly come off the bench and play more minutes than starters, but Houston has its full complement of depth that we expected coming into the season.

We’ll be in the Playback room tonight, so you should come join to watch the Rockets and talk about the game. Remember, we get a handful of VIP passes that we give out to anyone who wants to watch the game. No League Pass necessary!

Tip-off​

7pm CT

How To Watch​

NBA TV, Space City Home Network, and Playback

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Reed Sheppard: OUT

Heat​

Nikola Jovic: OUT

Andrew Wiggins: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Friday night in Miami against the Miami Heat

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...hompson-injury-tyler-herro-fight-bam-adebayon

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets vs. Heat on Friday night NBA action

Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Can the Rockets keep winning?

Houston Rockets vs. Miami Heat​

Friday, March 21, 2025 @ 7:00pm CST​

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Location: Kaseya Center - Miami, Florida

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: SportsTalk790

Online: Rockets App

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Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun

Heat: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jacquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith, Bam Adebayo

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Game thread!

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...ght-nba-action-alperen-sengun-nba-jalen-green

 

[Houston Rockets]

Potential Rockets NBA Playoff matchups: Who they do not want to see

Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Who is a bad matchup for Houston?

With the NBA regular season winding down, it is time to take a look at potential playoff matchups for the Houston Rockets. Today we will be analyzing the worst first-round matchup for the Rockets.

Worse Case Scenario Matchup - Golden State Warriors ​

If the cover photo did not give it away, the worst first-round matchup for the Houston Rockets is the Golden State Warriors. This is for numerous reasons. First of all, Houston has struggled offensively versus the Warriors, posting an offensive rating of only 101. Moreover, the Rockets have shot under 30 percent from three in the four matchups with the Warriors this season.

Another issue Houston has with the Warriors is that they play a more unconventional lineup by starting power foward Draymond Green at center which causes overall chaos.

However, what would perhaps be the biggest wild card in terms of a Rockets-Warriors playoff series would be Jimmy Butler. This season, all of Houston’s games versus the Warriors (one in-season tournament game and three regular season games) occurred before the Jimmy Butler trade. The addition of Butler adds another threat to the Warriors roster, whereas beforehand, Houston needed to gameplan mainly for Steph, and maybe Buddy Hield.

However, perhaps the main reason I do not want the Rockets to play the Warriors in the first round is because of previous history. The Warriors have handed Houston four straight playoff series losses dating back to the 2015 playoffs. That first series loss hurts extra for me. After watching the Rockets lose, I vowed to never root for or support the Golden State Warriors as long as I lived.

Fast forward to my first full NBA season as a fan, and who do the Rockets meet in the Western Conference Finals, but the Golden State Warriors. I remember watching Chris Paul get hurt and not fully understanding the implications. I remember finding out he was out for Game Seven, and I was there for all 27 of the missed threes. The heartbreak of that Western Conference finals was enough for a good few years for me, but of course, Houston faced the Warriors again in the playoffs the following season. Basically, the Golden State Warriors were one of the many reasons I needed therapy as a teenager.

Safe to say the Golden State Warriors would be a matchup nightmare for Houston, and the Rockets need to avoid them at all costs.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...atchups-who-they-do-not-want-to-see-ime-udoka

 

[Houston Rockets]

How has Jabari Smith’s performance at small forward been for the Rockets?

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Will the double big lineup be as beneficial to Smith as we think?

Let’s start this one off with a Jabari Smith Jr. quote from a few weeks ago, “I like playing the three...”

This quote stems from the recent double-big lineup Houston’s been running in which Jabari is able to play the small forward role in the offense. While there’s not all too much of a sample size to go off of, from what we’ve seen so far, Smith has vastly benefited from the change. Also benefiting from the new rotation adjustments is the overall play of the Rockets, as they’re currently on a nine-game win streak and back at the two seed in the West.

Over the eight games (before last night) in which this lineup has been featured prominently, Smith is averaging 15.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and has impressive shooting splits of 51/36/75. Not only has he improved his scoring numbers, but his efficiency has jumped up as well following a slow start to the season. A reason for that could be due to Jabari getting more opportunities to play on the perimeter each night and get matched up with smaller defenders allowing for easier shot creation. Another benefit of playing the three for Smith is the added pressure on opposing teams for rebounds. Having Jabari crash the glass with smaller defenders on him have caused him to be doubled on rebounds, allowing for guys like Sengun and Steven Adams to haul in more offensive boards. Over the past eight games, the Rockets lead the NBA in rebounds per game with 51.9 and are second in offensive rebounds with 15.4.

The shot selection for the former third overall pick has also seen some notable changes for the better. His spot up shooting chances have not only been increased, but so has his efficiency on said shots. Smith’s midrange has also become more incorporated into his game as of late, especially when matched up with undersized defenders on the wing. There’s also been a lot more self creation off the dribble going on for him, something that hasn’t really ever been a true component of his game. But when he’s at small forward, he’s finding new ways to attack his matchup and get downhill to the rim.

Now, beyond his scoring, Jabari’s incorporation in the double-big offense has been setting more ball screens than he was before. I’m sure there’s a multitude of reasons for this, but one that I believe sticks out the most is utilizing the size mismatches. Running the Green-Smith PnR combo often has proved to be a great move by Ime Udoka, best seen a few days ago in the 144-137 OT win over the 76ers. In that game, Jabari went off for 30 points, eight rebounds, and went 5/7 from three while attacking his defender primarily off the pick and roll down low.

But perhaps the largest takeaway to define if the small forward-Jabari experiment has been working or not is the Houston Rockets recent success. Since running the double-big lineup and moving Bari out to the three for a good bit each game, Houston is 9-1, with the only loss being the first game we saw the change. Houston’s offense has been looking extremely well, and also very unpredictable to opposing teams due to the versatility their double-big lineup brings. If this success can sustain moving forward, I expect Jabari to only get better on the offensive side of the ball and raise his season stats. It’s still early into this new role, but in the few opportunities he gets each game to be in it, Smith has proved it can be better in the long run for him.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...e-at-small-forward-truly-been-houston-rockets

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets game preview

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Rockets look for the tenth consecutive win against the Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets

This is a huge game for the Houston Rockets. In the micro, a win tonight would give Houston their tenth straight win. In the macro, it would move Houston to three games above the Denver Nuggets and give them the tiebreaker for the season series. It would become incredibly difficult for Denver to catch Houston at that point, even with Houston’s tough schedule to end the season. It also likely means that at least one team won’t care about the season finale, which will take place in Houston on April 13. You never want both teams to desperately want the final game of the season, so this would be a boon.

Nikola Jokic is missing his fourth consecutive game tonight, which is another reason why Houston needs this game. Obviously, this puts all of the pressure on Houston and takes all of it off Denver. There are potentially other pieces that could be missing for Denver.

We’ll be in the Playback room tonight, so you should come join to watch the Rockets and talk about the game. Remember, we get a handful of VIP passes that we give out to anyone who wants to watch the game. No League Pass necessary!

Tip-off​

6pm CT

How To Watch​

Space City Home Network and Playback

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Reed Sheppard: OUT

Nuggets​

Nikola Jokic: OUT

Julian Strawther: OUT

Jamal Murray: GTD

Aaron Gordon: GTD

Christian Braun: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -7.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Tuesday night in Houston against the Atlanta Hawks

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...kola-jokic-injury-alperen-sengun-jamal-murray

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets vs. Nuggets in Western Conference showdown

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Ten in a row?

Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets​

Sunday, March 23, 2025 @ 6:00pm CST​

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Location: Toyota Center - Houston, Texas

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: SportsTalk790

Online: Rockets App

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Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun

Nuggets: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Zeke Nnaji

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Game thread!

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...ence-showdown-alperen-sengun-nikola-jokic-nba

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets can’t dig out versus Nuggets, fall 116-111

Oh, well. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

No Jokic, but Murray was enough for Denver.

All good things must end.

All things end.

No ten wins in a row.

Yet, it’s not as bleak as all that.

In this case the only thing that ended was the Rockets winning streak. They had won 9 in a row, though they played with fire, coming back from 25 points down to beat the 76ers. Despite giving up a game in the standing to Denver, and missing a chance to clinch the tiebreaker against the Nuggets, the Rockets remain, for now, in second place in the Western Conference.

Tonight, against a far better team than those generally faced for the winning streak in the Denver Nuggets, albeit without presumed NBA MVP Runner Up, Nikola Jokic, there would be no reprieve as there was against the 76ers.

It didn’t have to be this way. The game was close in the first half, with both the Rockets, and the Nuggets claiming the lead. The two teams were tied at 27 points apiece after the first quarter.

Probably Denver pulled away in the second quarter, right? Nope, after the Rockets held small leads, Denver would come back. That quarter also ended tied, 30-30.

From a dead even game at the half, something disastrous for the Rockets would occur. Jamal Murray, after a tepid first half would basically not miss. He didn’t miss on his herky-jerky drives and pull up jumpers. He didn’t miss at the basket. He didn’t miss three point shots off a staggered screen action the Rockets simply couldn’t solve. He threw lobs to a somehow revitalized DeAndre Jordan. It seemed like most of the Nuggets, in fact, couldn’t miss. Murray ended the night with 39 points on 15-28 shooting. He didn’t live at the line, either, going 5-6. He didn’t miss that much.

The Rockets? They very much could miss. A lot.

By the end of this quarter the Nuggets would lead by seventeen points, after winning the quarter 37-20, This is basically where the game was lost. The Nuggets generally execute too well to completely fall apart, even without Jokic. They are an experienced team that recently won a title. The Rockets are a team returning to the playoffs after a four year hiatus, and some grimly awful seasons.

That doesn’t mean the Rockets just gave up. That’s one of the best aspects of this team. They will often try, and fight, to come back and win. It’s very possible to say, though, that while the Rockets often very much do work harder than their opponents, it’s yet to be proven that they can work smarter.

This would prove the case in the fourth quarter. The Rockets used a two big lineup with their most effective player tonight, Steven Adams, and cut into the Denver deficit. With around six minutes remaining the Rockets only trailed by six points. Jamal Murray had for some odd reason abandoned his “Never Miss” approach, and missed shots.

The Rockets, though, could close the deal, or the score. They took bad shots. They turned the ball over. They missed close in. Fred VanVleet, after having his best game of the season, and possibly as a Rocket, in Miami, turned into a pumpkin. So despite the Rockets getting offensive rebounds quite often in the fourth quarter, Fred would fire off a quick, and awful, three point shot on receipt of a pass out of the offensive board.

The Rockets would come close, and were technically alive late, but of course, another growing problem surfaced for the Rockets: missing free throws. Tonight the Rockets went 22-34 from the line. You might have noted that the Nuggets margin of victory is well within the number of missed Rockets free throws. Denver, to be fair, also missed their share, going 18-26. But this is a mounting concern. Teams really can foul most Rockets late, and expect fairly good results right now. That’s going to be a problem in the playoffs if it persists.

Jalen Green had 30 points, but on 8-22 shooting. 3-12 from three, and 11-14 from the line.

Fred VanVleet was 2-12 tonight, 1-8 from three, and had five assists. He quite possibly shot the Rockets out of a comeback in the fourth.

Alperen Sengun continues a trend of posting good numbers, and had a very solid game. What he’s not doing is offering the sort of dominant closing runs he displayed early in the season, bringing close wins to the Rockets, very often of late. He had 17 points on 6-15 shooting, he also added 17 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He had no turnovers and played 40 minutes. There’s nothing to complain about, and yet, the Rockets need someone to close out games, and right now that person is?

It might be Dillon Brooks. Which is a problem. Dillon went 8-12, 5-8 from 3pt range, for 21 points. He added 3 boards and an assist.

Amen continues to defend well, and fill the stat sheet, but again, the sort of aggressive closing attack we saw earlier in the season wasn’t present last night. He’s not to blame, and he certain got his revenge on Tyler Herro in Miami, but going 0-4 from the free throw line is a bad trend to continue.

Overall it’s hard to complain about 2nd place in the West, and 9-1 over the last ten games. The Rockets needed to make hay with their homestand and easy schedule, and they did. It would have been nice to keep it going for a meaningful win against Denver, but evidently the Rockets aren’t quite there. Yet.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/3/23/24392594/rockets-cant-dig-out-versus-nuggets-fall-116-111

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets rally over Heat behind Fred VanVleet’s 37 points

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

That’s nine in a row for Houston.

The Houston Rockets are finally healthy and are now the winners of nine straight games heading down the home stretch after coming from behind to defeat the Miami Heat 102-98 behind 37 points from Fred VanVleet.

The Rockets were down 11 at one point in the third quarter, but rallied behind VanVleet, who went on a 9-2 run all by himself, inlcuding two three-point shots, to give Houston the lead for good and their first win in Miami since 2018. VanVleet finished 13-for-17 from the field and 9-for-11 from three-point range and also had 3 assists and 3 steals.

Amen Thompson returned from injury and picked up right where he left off, finishing with 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting, along with filling up the box score with 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 7 steals and a block.

Houston also got 11 from Dillon Brooks and 11 from Jabari Smith Jr. , and the Rockets shot 50 percent from three-point land as a team. They won the rebound battle 46-34 and forced 20 Heat turnovers to spearhead the victory.

Miam was led by Andrew Wiggins, who finished with 30 points, while Kel’el Ware had 16 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks.

The Rockets are now 46-25 and hold a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the second seed in the Western Conference with 11 games left to play in the season. They will return to action on Sunday night versus thr Denver Nuggets in a good measuring stick.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...lly-over-heat-behind-fred-vanvleets-37-points

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks game preview

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Rockets look to bounce back against Atlanta

After a dud against the undermanned Denver Nuggets, the Houston Rockets look to get back to their winning ways when they welcome the Atlanta Hawks to the Toyota Center.

The Hawks have won three games in a row and are 7-3 over their last 10 games, so tonight is by no means a layup. The Hawks play in the weakest division in basketball, the Southeast, and could win the division while still being a play-in team. They currently sit in seventh place, two games ahead of Orlando and four back in the loss column from sixth. As with a few of Houston’s recent opponents, the Hawks will be desperate to win to keep their positioning locked up. The seventh seed guarantees two home postseason games. The eighth seed only guarantees one. Selfishly, I’d love to see Atlanta get to the sixth seed because it would mean we’d get Trae Young in the Garden in Round 1.

Houston has to come out with more juice tonight than they did Sunday night. Even though the game was tied at halftime, it was clear early on that Denver was putting forth much more effort than the Rockets. Against a surging Hawks squad with a deadly point guard and several athletes and shooters, anything less than full effort on defense will spell a loss for the Rockets.

We’ll be in the Playback room tonight, so you should come join to watch the Rockets and talk about the game. Remember, we get a handful of VIP passes that we give out to anyone who wants to watch the game. No League Pass necessary!

Tip-off​

7pm CT

How To Watch​

Space City Home Network and Playback

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Reed Sheppard: OUT

Hawks​

Clint Capela: OUT

Larry Nance Jr.: OUT

Jalen Johnson: OUT

Jacob Toppin: GTD

Keaton Wallace: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Thursday night in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...preview-trae-young-alperen-sengun-jalen-green

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets avoid total meltdown in the fourth and beat the Hawks 121-114

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

“H” up... A-Town down, but barely.

The Houston Rockets came into Tuesday’s game winners of nine of their last ten games and the Atlanta Hawks came in with an 8-3 record in the month of March. So, regardless of the Hawks 35-36 record a good hard-fought game was to be expected. It looked early like the Rockets might roll with a 9-2 run. However, the Hawks proceeded to score 14 straight points. The Rockets started the game 1-of-8 from three, then after a timeout the Rockets scored an 11-5 run of their own and eventually took a 30-23 lead into the second quarter. Jalen Green got things going offensively with 10 points in the quarter.

The Rockets started the second quarter with a 15-3 run pushing the lead to 45-26 and forcing the Hawks to take a timeout. The Hawks would respond with a mini run of their own but the double big lineup, and Jalen Green’s offense kept the Hawks at arm’s length until the ball started going on the basket for a few more guys and the Rockets started to flex their muscle again. Despite only shooting 28 percent from the three-point line in the first half, the Rockets did out rebound the Hawks by double digits including 11 offensive rebounds, outscored them in in the paint 34-24 and made all of their six free-throws. All that was enough to take a 65-48 lead into halftime. Jalen Green had 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting at the half. Trae Young, who was quiet most of the half, got things going late in the second quarter and ended the first half with 13 points.

In the third quarter the Rockets separated a little more form the Hawks. They only shot 42 percent from the field, but they held the Hawks to 35 percent shooting and the Rockets went 15-16 from the free-throw line. Jalen had a great quarter shooting 4-of 5 from the field, scoring 10 in the quarter. Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr. all hit double figures before the end of the third quarter and it looked like the Rockets were going to coast to their 47th win of the season as they went into the fourth quarter with a 20-point lead, 94-74.

Welp! In the fourth quarter the Hawks went on a 20-4 run and cut the Rockets lead to four with Trae Young on the bench. Before the midway point of the quarter the Rockets were suddenly in a game at 100-96. From that moment Jalen Green and Jabari Smith went active and pushed the lead back to double digits with five minutes in the quarter. The Hawks would not go away quietly, getting their deficit down to three points, with less than 20 seconds left in the game, but the Rockets were able to stiff arm the comeback and pick up that 47th victory 121-114.

Jalen Green led the way with 32 points and 11 rebounds. The Rockets had six players in double-figures including Jabari Smith Jr. who chipped in with 17 points off the bench. The Rockets won in large part thanks to their shooting 26-of-29 from the free-throw line. The Rockets defense shut down a hot Hawks team for three quarters and were able to withstand the Hawks putting up a 40-spot in the fourth quarter to get the win.

The Rockets control their own destiny with only nine games remaining in the season. They hit the road for a three-game road trip starting in Utah on Thursday. Tuesday’s win places the Rockets a full two games ahead of the Denver Nuggets to keep them in second place in the Western Conference. The Rockets have guaranteed themselves at minimum a play-in spot in the West, but they obviously want to stack as many wins as possible to clinch that coveted first playoff appearance since 2020. Keep cheering the home team on and catch the games on Space City Home Network or listen on Sports Talk 790.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...nd-beat-atlanta-hawks-121-114-nba-jalen-green

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets tangle with the Hawks tonight at Toyota Center

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

“H” up... A-Town down??

Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks​

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 @ 7:00pm CST​

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Location: Toyota Center - Houston, Texas

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: SportsTalk790

Online: Rockets App

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Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun

Hawks: Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Muhamed Gueye, Onyeka Okongwu

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Game thread!

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...t-at-toyota-center-trae-young-jalen-green-nba

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz game preview

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Rockets return to the scene of the crime in Salt Lake City

Let’s rip the band-aid off.

The last time the Houston Rockets went into Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz, they gave up 30 points to Keyonte George off the bench. The Jazz scored 124 points, including 37 in the fourth quarter. In fact, their lowest-scoring quarter was 27 points. All five Jazz starters scored in double figures. Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler combined for 22 dunks.

Okay, that last one isn’t true but it sure felt like it.

The only Rockets that showed up that night on offense were Amen Thompson, Jeff Green, Alperen Sengun, and Jalen Green. Those four combined to shoot 51% from the field. The rest of the Rockets shot 28%.

But again, the real issue for Houston that night was defense. We’ve talked over and over again that when Houston is shooting well, they’re much more aesthetically pleasing to watch. However, when they play defense at a high level, they win more games. It’s a frustrating aspect of the team that will have to be addressed through trades, free agency, or a new shooting coach (or three). For now, this is the team.

Houston’s schedule down the stretch is brutal. Most of the games will be on the road against desperate Western Conference squads. It’s entirely possible that Houston is only favored in two of their remaining nine games. Tonight is the first. That makes it a must-win.

We’ll be in the Playback room tonight, so you should come join to watch the Rockets and talk about the game. Remember, we get a handful of VIP passes that we give out to anyone who wants to watch the game. No League Pass necessary!

Tip-off​

8pm CT

How To Watch​

Space City Home Network and Playback

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Amen Thompson: GTD

Reed Sheppard: OUT

Jazz​

John Collins: OUT

Jordan Clarkson.: GTD

Lauri Markkanen: GTD

Elijah Harkless: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Sunday night in Arizona against the Phoenix Suns

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...n-green-alperen-sengun-lauri-markkanen-injury

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets rise into top 10 for NBA.com power rankings

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

Finally getting some real national respect?

Earlier this week, NBA.com released its updated power rankings. The Houston Rockets rose from spot 10 to spot eight, which puts them behind only the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western conference.

Houston’s record at the time of the rankings was 46-26, which included a nine-game winning streak before losing to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, March 23. Houston now has a record of 47-26. Houston’s Offensive rating was 114.3, which is 12th best in the NBA; their defensive rating was 109.7, which is fourth best; their net rating was +4.6, which is fifth best; and they played at a pace of 98.8 (possessions per game), which is 19th best.

Perhaps the biggest story for Houston last week was the return of starting forward Amen Thompson after he was sidelined for six games with an ankle sprain. Alongside the return of Thompson, the double big lineup with Alperen Sengun was used, and continued to see success. In 101 total minutes with both big men on the court, the Rockets have outscored their opponents by 85 points (dominating the glass and giving up just 88 points per 100 possessions).

What is interesting is that despite the return of Thompson, Udoka stuck to a small lineup playing only eight players, but seven of those eight rotation guys (all except Adams) averaged at least 15.2 points per game over the winning streak. The Rockets scored 120.2 points per 100 possessions over the nine games, up from 111.2 over their first seven games out of the All-Star break.

Perhaps the one main concern for Houston is free-throw shooting. The Rockets rank last in free-throw percentage at 74.1%, with their win in Miami on Friday (10-for-21) being the second time they’ve shot below 50% from the line. (Only two other occasions have all other teams come together.) They played better than they did against Denver over the weekend (22-for-34, 65%), but if they had shot the league average, they would have made five more free throws (in a five-point defeat). They’ve had two games this season where shooting the league average from the line would have turned a loss into a win. However Houston did shoot 89.7 versus Atlanta Tuesday night.

Four games left for the Rockets against teams with losing records, three of which are this week. They are currently 27-8 versus that group, and their most recent defeat came in Utah. Houston looks to get revenge on Thursday, when they will start a three-game road trip.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...-raise-into-top-10-for-nba-com-power-rankings

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets close out Jazz late in 121-110 victory; win their eleventh of last twelve

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Entering this game, the Houston Rockets in March so far are tenth in the NBA in total points per game, first in rebounds per game, and have moved up to the two seed in the West. Taking on the 16-57 Jazz, the hope for the Rockets was to not let a game slip by them and just handle business as expected...which they ended up doing, even if it wasn’t in traditional fashion.

In the first quarter, this one was a defensive battle, or more so, a lack of offense. Shooting just a mere 9/25 from the floor as a team, Houston’s rebounding ability truly carried them to start the game. Led by Alperen Sengun’s nine points and four rebounds, the Rockets 27 points and 4/11 from beyond the arc was just enough to get by in the first. Holding the Jazz to poor shooting and forcing fouls, hardly anything didn’t go the Rockets way early on.

The second quarter started off really strong however for Houston, going on a 18-7 run to take a 14 point lead over the Jazz. The defense was also back to what you’d expect from this team in a game like this, getting really solid all around rotation. A couple hustle plays from Tari as well as some solid Jock Landale minutes gave the Rockets all the momentum in the world. The only thing that was needed from Houston was to continue and play consistent and not give up any runs...neither of which was successful for the Rockets. After being up 14, Houston gave up a 16-4 run to end the first half, with Brice Sensabaugh going 3/3 from downtown and scoring some of the easiest nine points you’ll see.

Within just three minutes, Houston’s defense imploded and their offense went stagnant, hence why at Half the score was only a 53-51 lead for the Rockets. Even after winning the second chance points battle along with the rebound advantage, Utah found themselves a way to keep it close. So close, yet so far from pulling away in this game, a common issue that Houston’s faced this year.

Sigh...what more does Houston need to do to take advantage of going on a run. It seems as if this team can never quite keep their foot on the gas when it matters. Beginning the third quarter with a 19-6 run to jump the lead to a game high 15 points, in a matter of minutes Utah was right back in it with a seven point game. Incapable of getting a stop after scoring, it was a very back and fourth quarter of basketball. The refs didn’t help either, letting a LOT of contact slide for both sides in the paint. Shooting an excellent 56% from the field and 42% from three, Houston held their own on at least one end of the floor. But, they let Utah shoot 60% themselves as well as allowing 20 points inside. A big quarter from both Collin Sexton on the Jazz, and Amen Thompson for the Rockets, it’s safe to say each team had their own spark for offense, but once more, nothing on defense. Ending the third with a 89-80 lead, the chances of a Rockets win looked more probable than not.

Do I even have to say it again...sigh. With a nine point lead going into the fourth, Houston started off 0/3 from the floor and gave up a 5-0 run in just a minute of play, forcing a timeout to be called. The All-Star on the floor came to play though in this one for the Rockets as Alperen Sengun got two put-backs, the second being an and-one. Utah had decided it wasn’t over yet in their minds, continuing to score with pure ease. Only up six, it would then be Jabari Smith Jr. who’d take a 5v3 contested fast-break pullup three pointer and miss, giving Utah an easy rebound and pass down court for an easy dunk to cut the lead to four. Calling a TO to readjust, Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun would score eight straight for the Rockets and bring the lead to 11 points.

An eleven point lead against Utah mind as well be a five point game however, as they’d once more continue to just simply not miss. A constant battle on offense would finally be won by the Rockets however, with Amen getting a layup, followed up by a stop and a tough and-one finish for Jalen Green to put Houston up 10 with under two and half minutes left. The next play, Sengun closed out the game with a huge dunk, putting him at 30 points and giving Houston the 121-110 victory.

Overall, this game was a lot closer than it should’ve been, but late in the fourth quarter Houston was able to cement the win. Led by Alperen Sengun’s dominating 33-10 performance, Jalen Green (21-8-6), and Amen Thompson (15-10-5) also stepped up to finish out the game and give the Rockets their eleventh win over their past twelve. Next up Houston has the Suns on the road as well, a game that can really help the Rockets in the playoff standings as the season nears it’s end.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...110-victory-win-their-eleventh-of-last-twelve