Houston's bench erupted, overpowering a struggling Phoenix with relentless steals and efficient scoring, securing a dominant road victory.
On Monday, November 24, the Rockets faced off against the Phoenix Suns on the road, demolishing them 114–92- a new scoring low for the Suns. There was a general lack of chaos, and honestly, it looked like a cakewalk for most of the game, despite Phoenix coming in red-hot after winning eight of their last nine. The box score shows dominance, but the tempo felt more like a low-stakes college game than the energetic, chaotic matchups we’ve seen from Houston this season.
Houston played without Kevin Durant (personal reasons) and Tari Eason (still in the middle of his 4-6 week oblique recovery). Phoenix came in seriously shorthanded too, missing multiple starters and rotation pieces including Jalen Green, Grayson Allen, Ryan Dunn, and 7’1” center Mark Williams. All in all, Houston had the health and rest advantage.
Phoenix’s one strength was their paint presence and rebounding. They held their own on the glass most of the night, and the Rockets were crushed 12-26 on their own goal, missing second-chance looks they normally cash in. But the Suns couldn’t stop turning the ball over- 21 giveaways in total. It felt like every time Houston made a mistake, Phoenix responded with one of their own. That’s how the Rockets built multiple 20+ point leads, with Amen Thompson turning steals into fastbreaks again and again. Houston finished with 13 steals- nearly double the league average.
Phoenix briefly cut the lead to single digits, mostly during Houston’s now-familiar third-quarter defensive dip, but they never found real momentum. Once the Rockets tightened up defensively in the fourth, Phoenix’s offense evaporated entirely.
Dillon Brooks dropped 29 and carried the Suns offensively, but struggled from deep (2-for-8). As a team, Phoenix played selfish basketball- finishing with just 11 assists compared to Houston’s 26.
Reed Sheppard made his first start of the season but never found a rhythm, going 2-for-9- a steep drop from his 27-point breakout against Denver. Instead, it was the ever-athletic Thompson (28 points) and Aaron Holiday (6-for-10 from deep) who carried Houston, with Holiday catching fire early.
Houston is quickly developing into a reliable closing team, outscoring Phoenix 30-17 in the fourth. Even with the rebounding issues, the Rockets did what Rockets do, shooting 61-percent from the field and 57-percent from three in the final frame, per the NBA box score. They may lapse in the third, but they know how to lock in when it’s time to finish.