Down 19, the Rockets ignited a furious comeback fueled by Reed Sheppard's heroics, snatching victory from Orlando's grip.
Throughout the first half of this game, we got the kind of performance that has become all too familiar for the Rockets. Turnovers galore, double digit deficits, this time extending all the way to 19 points. It wasn’t pretty.
But things can change quickly in the NBA. After all, basketball is a game of runs. All the Rockets had to do was take care of the ball and finish defensive possessions with a rebound.
The offense will find its way, but you can’t constantly give your opponent easy opportunities to score in the time being. Orlando outscored the Rockets 30-7 in second chance points, a huge reason for their 53-43 lead at the half.
After a whole lot of the same to start the third quarter, something changed. Reed Sheppard hit his first three of the game and completely ignited the team. Navigating pick and rolls, getting to the paint and scoring, plus an assist on a Clint Capela dunk.
This 21-0 run gave Houston its first lead since 20-19, while Reed was directly responsible for 13 out of the 21 points. This 38 point third quarter effort brought them into the fourth quarter with a one point lead.
Now knotted at 87 points apiece, Desmond Bane’s corner three broke that tie and forced Ime Udoka to call a timeout with 8:36 remaining in the game.
Out of the timeout, a Sheppard and Şengün pick and roll freed up KD for a three of his own. 90-90, but almost immediately, Jevon Carter drained his fourth three of the night. After a turnover led to a fastbreak opportunity for Orlando, they extended their lead to five.
Hoping to not face the same collapse as they did vs the Knicks, the Rockets needed to get some buckets. Who else but KD, as he went on a personal 5-0 run to tie it up again.
With 5:36 remaining, Durant tied the game at 97. He did the same thing less than a minute later to knot things up at 99. Waiting to see who Lawler’s Law would favor tonight, it was clear this could be a back and forth game down to the wire.
While it’d take a minute and a half of playing time to finally get another score, the first foul of the fourth quarter sent Wendell Carter Jr. to the line to split a pair of free throws. That contributed to their dreadful 11/19 night to that point.
That most recent miss allowed Alpi to put the Rockets up 101-100 after pick and roll with KD. Maybe they were aware of their 14-16 record in clutch games because Houston locked in for the final three minutes.
After another Şengün score in the post, Reed Sheppard gave his team their largest lead of the game as his three put them up 106-100 with less than two minutes remaining. He did it again just a minute later, draining his fifth deep ball in seven attempts. 109-102 with only 22 seconds left.
Ultimately the dagger, although it did become a drawn out free throw battle to finish the game. Looking at the NBA box-score, that actually gave Durant the chance to get to 40 points. A nice way to complete a tough victory on the road.