Rockets built a commanding lead, but the Sixers mounted a furious comeback. Watch how Houston weathered the storm to secure a crucial victory.
Ime Udoka and his Rockets squad came into last night’s game on a season high seven game win streak. Returning to Toyota Center for their final three outings of the regular season, Houston is aiming to win every game they can in order to move up out of fifth place. Nothing is set in stone for them yet.
Since they were tied with the Lakers, a win would boost them up in the standings, but maybe only for a very short time. LeBron and company were visiting the Warriors later in the evening, meaning it could easily be tied again.
The Rockets just had to focus on winning, and it looked like they were well aware of that in the first twelve minutes. After pushing the lead to 13 points at the largest, Houston finished the quarter up 35-26.
They forced Nick Nurse to call a timeout less than two minutes into the second quarter, as the lead ballooned up to 15. A swarming defense got the Rockets out in transition for a lot of easy opportunities.
Jabari Smith Jr. picked up his third foul just after play resumed, but had the trust from the coaching staff to stay in the game. This proved to be a good decision because he’s been hot, and proceeded to drain a pull up middy for his 10th point of the night.
A very well-rounded first half ended 73-56 with the lead getting as high as 21 before heading into the locker room. Durant had 17 points, Amen with 12, and Jabari put up 10 points.
Amen Thompson wowed the crowd in the third, extending the lead even further once again, this time to 24. I’m not sure if I’ve seen this one from him before, but he cut down the lane and went for a two handed windmill.
Josh Okogie got the start for defensive reasons, and he was on his way to a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds early in the third. We got a repeat of the first half with Houston ending the quarter with a 96-73 advantage.
Entering the final twelve minutes with a 23 point lead is a great place to be, but it was important to keep playing considering how quickly teams can make a comeback these days. The 76ers did just that, storming back with a 16-0 run that saw Houston go scoreless for more than four and a half minutes of game time.
With 4:48 remaining, Ime Udoka had to call a timeout to stop the bleeding after the lead was cut to single digits. Kevin Durant's long ball dropped seven seconds later, extending Houston's advantage back to 104-94. A lead they'd hold onto until the end.
Check the ESPN Box Score to see an impressive team performance for the Rockets. Still tied with the Lakers after they also won last night, Houston has continued to do what they can to earn home court advantage in the playoffs. They'll hope to repeat that success again tonight vs the Timberwolves.