Three consecutive losses marred by poor defensive performances placed the Houston Rockets squarely amid an early-season lull, one requiring an immediate course correction.
The Rockets snapped their losing skid with an easy home victory over the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Friday, but it was their 106-104 road triumph over the New Orleans Pelicans the following night that provided Houston precisely what it needed.
Playing uphill most of the game, the Rockets rallied late with a steely-eyed effort that had become commonplace on their home court. Houston, which will host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday in the opener of a seven-game homestand, delivered on the road against a healthy Pelicans squad. The victory represented a step forward — or at least one in the right direction following recent struggles.
“It’s good to get one on the road against a quality opponent,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “It’s been two hard-fought games against this team. Obviously, they weren’t whole last time, but (this time) we had to dig in and get it.
“It shows the maturity of the group, the growth in general to come in off a back-to-back, get in late and carve this one out. You can see the growth by everybody, especially on the road the last few games.”
Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. undergirded the effort against the Pelicans, continuing for both their recent runs of strong performances. Sengun, 21, and Smith, 20, are two of the Rockets’ youngest members of their rotation, and their reliability offers a positive future forecast.
Sengun posted a career-high 37 points plus 11 rebounds and six assists, and his role as the fulcrum for the Rockets offensively fits his skillset. Houston can run offense through Sengun because of his ability to score in the post and pass with pinpoint precision to available teammates, a talent that allows the Rockets to lean fully into their multiple scoring options.
Smith rounding into form as a double-double menace has been equally impactful. After recording just two double-digit rebound efforts over the first 17 games this season, Smith is averaging 15.1 points and 10.6 boards in his last 10 games with .486./447/.842 splits on field-goal, 3-point and free-throw shooting percentage.
Sengun and Smith lately have worked in tandem to provide the Rockets with scoring and rebounding. Should they maintain their levels of production, the Rockets’ standing as a playoff contender won’t be a surprise much longer.
The Pacers, on the other hand, continued their slump with a 117-110 loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday — their sixth loss in seven games. All the positive momentum the Pacers generated with their run to the in-season tournament final has dissipated, with Indiana in search of any semblance of consistency.
Against the Magic, it was a sluggish defensive start that resulted in surrendering 73 first-half points. When the Pacers finally found their fight defensively following the intermission, they stumbled offensively down the stretch and totaled only 18 points in the fourth quarter.
“It just speaks to our readiness to compete right off the bat,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s not OK to get smashed in the face to bring the level of force necessary. And that’s how it went.
“If we had played with the same force in the first half, we wouldn’t be talking about the fourth quarter.”
–Field Level Media