News Rockets Team Notes

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets blow out the Blazers 140-116 in Game 2 of NBA Cup play

Coming into tonight’s Emirates NBA Cup game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Kevin Durant had an NBA leading 29 consecutive 20-point games versus the franchise that could have drafted him number one overall back in 2007. Whether or not he was aware of this before tonight, I can’t tell you. What I can tell you is he almost got his 30th consecutive 20-point game versus the Blazers all in the first quarter. Kevin was sensational again. He finished the night with 30 points in 35 minutes on the floor, shooting 12-of-19 (63.2%) and 3-of-6 from the three-point line.

In fact, every Rockets player was sensational on offense, as seven players scored in double figures, and they grabbed 20 of their 56 rebounds on the offensive end. The Rockets continue to be the NBA’s best three-point shooting team as they were 17-of-45 on Friday night against a very respectable Trail Blazers defense. The Rockets allowed the Blazers to shoot 47.2 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from three, but the difference maker in this game was the turnover differential.

The Houston Rockets only turned over the ball six times the entire game. Meanwhile, defensively they forced 20 Trail Blazer turnovers, 16 of them steals, that lead to 23 fast-break points. The Rockets were very active defensively, also blocking six shots and only allowing nine Trail Blazer fast-break points. Deni Avdija, the Blazers best offensive player, scored 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting, but was held in check throughout most of the game until the Rockets were already up big. The Blazers were able to make the game interesting briefly in the third quarter, but the lead never really felt threatened as the Rockets had an answer to each Blazer run in the second half.

Other Rockets standouts were, Jabari Smith Jr. with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. Alperen Sengun was one assist away from a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, and Reed Sheppard continued his hot streak of good basketball with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals as his confidence continues to grow with each game. Amen Thompson added 19 points to what would be a season-high offensive output of 140 points.

The Portland Trail Blazers are no pushover team. The boast wins this season over the OKC Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors, despite the distraction of their head coach being investigated by the FBI for an alleged involvement in an illegal gambling ring. The Rockets just manhandled a very good NBA team, who is reminiscent of their own young team just one year ago with Jrue Holiday playing the role of mentor to the young core. Besides that, this big win now makes them a +13 in NBA Cup play point differential. So overall this was a quality win and big one for the Rockets. The get back to work against the Orlando Magic at home on Sunday at 6:00 PM CST. We will be right here to cover all the analysis pre and postgame on TDS.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...nt-alperen-sengun-amen-thompson-reed-sheppard

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic game preview

The Houston Rockets wrap up a 3-game homestand tonight against the Orlando Magic. After tonight, five of Houston’s next six games come on the road, with the only home game coming against the Denver Nuggets in an NBA Cup tilt this Friday.

The Magic haven’t gotten off to the start they were hoping to. After acquiring Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando was a popular pick to be a dark horse in the East. That’s still available to them, especially after going 6-2 after a 1-4 start. That includes a blowout win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and a win over the Trail Blazers.

Tonight will be Houston’s first game without Tari Eason, who had gotten off to a great start. His 3-point shooting had taken a huge leap. That was probably unsustainable, but Eason’s confidence was clear as he works towards restricted free agency. He’ll be back in 4-6 weeks and you know Houston will be careful with him.

The Magic will be without Paolo Banchero and Mo Wagner. Franz Wagner and Bane will initiate offense for Orlando, with Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., and Tristan da Silva also playing big minutes and contributing in multiple ways.

Tip-off​

6pm CT

How To Watch​

Space City Home Network

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Tari Eason: OUT (leg)

Dorian Finney-Smith: OUT (ankle)

Magic​

Paolo Banchero: OUT

Mo Wagner: OUT

The Line (as of this post)​

HOU -7.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Wednesday night in Cleveland against the Cavaliers

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...houston-rockets-vs-orlando-magic-game-preview

 

[Houston Rockets]

The Rockets cruelly confusing Tari Eason problem

If I’ve tried to make anything clear during my time as a Houston Rockets writer, it’s this:

I love Tari Eason.

This has not been a secret. Eason is the prototype “player you want”. He’s the guy that, when you look back at a championship roster, you say, “Sure, he averaged 12 and 6, but they don’t get that chip without that dude”. Star creators reign supreme, but the next tier of players could be succinctly summarized as “Tari Easons”.

That’s why his recent oblique tear is egregiously terrible.

Rockets lose essential role player in Eason​

Before we get into the implications of (another) Eason injury, let’s talk a bit more about how good Eason is – for my mental health, if nothing else.

In 2024-25, Eason’s 3.3% Steal Percentage would have ranked third in the NBA if he’d played enough games to qualify for the leaderboard. His 9.4% Offensive Rebound Percentage would have tied for 14th. Here’s a list of players who landed in the Top 15 in each of these statistical categories:

NBA Players who Ranked Top-15 in Steal Percentage and Offensive Rebound Percentage in 2024-25

1. Tari Eason

Look at that! We’re already done.

That’s not an arbitrary grouping of stats. In tandem, they establish Eason as the NBA’s foremost extra-possession monster. If there’s a way to get the ball, Eason is going to get the ball. Trying to keep him from the orange sphere is like trying to stop the sun from rising. Eason likely has a recurring nightmare where a member of another NBA team has possession of the basketball.

Granted, he’s been a different player in 2025-26. His Steal Percentage (1.7) and Offensive Rebound Percentage (7.3) have dropped considerably. Eason has offset those declines by shooting a casual 50.9% from deep, up from 34.2%.

Those numbers will all likely normalize as the season wears on. Here’s the sadder likelihood: Eason probably won’t qualify for leaderboards this year, either.

That’s the problem.

Rockets’ Tari Eason is officially injury-prone​

A more cynical person may say that following this injury, Eason’s contract negotiations could be favorable for the team.

It’s a forever-icky component of sports. Injuries can be beneficial in a myriad of ways. Surely, we can all agree that a speedy recovery is the best-case scenario here.

Still, it’s undeniable that Eason’s relentless injuries will factor into negotiations. That could mean the Rockets get him at a discounted rate, but it also raises an uncomfortable question:

How much should the Rockets commit to Eason?

In the end, any commitment is going to be a gamble. The margins may be relatively thin. If Eason will settle for $20 million (dear God, new NBA money is vulgar), the Rockets should rush to find a pen. What if he wants $30 million?

That’s a sizeable sum if he’s going to miss time every year. The Rockets have also created a labyrinth of cap considerations moving forward. They need to keep space on the books for Amen Thompson, and now, it looks like Reed Sheppard should be earmarked for a substantial share too.

The head spins trying to get a handle on the long-term cap situation. I won’t get granular – frankly, out of a sense of journalistic responsibility to be accurate. It does feel reasonable to say that the Rockets have a lot of mouths to feed, and that Eason’s place at the table is tenous if he can’t stay on the floor.

I just lost a little piece of my soul. There’s no disputing Eason’s on-court value. It’s just a moot point during every second that he’s on the injury list. If Eason gets hurt again this year, the Rockets have to start thinking about how much money they’re willing to commit to him:

I say that with love.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...-rockets-cruelly-confusing-tari-eason-problem