The Houston Rockets had lost three straight games going into Tuesday’s game showdown against the Chicago Bulls. In desperate need of a win, their stars stepped up tonight in a well-earned win (119-113) at the Toyota Center, moving up to fifth place in the standings and just two games back from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kevin Durant led the way for Houston with 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, zero steals, and zero blocks on 52.2% shooting and 20.0% shooting from three. At center, Alperen Sengun dropped 23 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists, zero steals, and one block on 55.6% shooting. In the backcourt, Amen Thompson tallied 23 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and zero blocks on 60.0% shooting and 50.0% shooting from three.
Meanwhile, for the Bulls, Tre Jones led all scorers with 34 points, two rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and zero blocks per game on 91.7% shooting and 83.3% shooting from three. In 36 minutes, Matas Buzelis dropped 19 points, six rebounds, two assists, zero steals, and zero blocks on 50.0% shooting and 28.6% shooting from three. Finally, Nikola Vucevic chipped in with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two blocks on 36.8% shooting (0-3 from three).
In a match that saw runs from both sides, it was anyone’s game until the end. Fortunately for the Rockets, their stars gave just enough offensively to pull out the win, headlined by a 14-4 run over the final 2:42. In what has been a particularly rough stretch for Houston, tonight’s win was a return to form in a performance that comes with plenty of takeaways.
Rockets Still Lean On Kevin Durant
The Rockets added Kevin Durant this summer on the pretense that he would be more of a background character than the main star. In practice, however, Houston has been more reliant on Durant’s game than planned, and tonight was another example. His 23 shot attempts were the most of any player in the game, and he didn’t waste the opportunities with a statline of 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, zero steals, and zero blocks on 52.2% shooting and 20.0% shooting from three in 39 minutes.
At 37 years old, Durant continues to prove that his game is timeless, and the Rockets continually looked to him tonight when their offense went stagnant. His response was a smooth and calculated offensive performance, where he picked his spots and shot with his usual timeless stroke. While he had plenty of help tonight, games like these make you doubt if the Rockets are Sengun’s team. While he may be their best player on paper, Durant’s clutch scoring and critical shot-making have come through for them more than anything else so far this season.
Houston Wins Rebounding Battle
The Rockets’ size was their strength tonight, leading to consistent points under the rim and a dominant rebounding performance that tilted the game. While they only finished 7-24 from three as a team (29.2%), they made up for it with second-chance opportunities and efficient scoring in the paint. Durant was the game’s leading rebounder with 10, but the Rockets got 18 additional rebounds from their bench between JD Davison, Steven Adams, and Clint Capela.
Cleaning the glass has been a winning formula for the Rockets this season, and it paid off for them in today’s win. Just like they have all season, Houston’s frontcourt was able to win the battle of the boards with consistent effort, smart positioning, and constant communication between teammates. In the end, the rebounding advantage effectively widened the margin of error for Houston, easing pressure on the stars and allowing the team to play at its own speed.
Too Many Threes For Chicago
Without Josh Giddey tonight, the Bulls had to look elsewhere for offense. While Tre Jones was able to deliver a career-defining night, it didn’t do much to make up for the lack of shooting from everyone else. As the game wore on, the Bulls’ shot selection got gradually worse until they shot themselves out of the game. In total, they went 12-37 from three (32.4%), missing more than the Rockets even attempted.
It was a commendable effort for the Bulls overall, but they don’t have the personnel to keep up in a shootout against Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun. Arguably, the most concerning stat line for Chicago was from Patrick Williams, who went scoreless in 17 minutes of play. He went 0-5 from three tonight and is slated to make $18 million this season.
Amen Thompson Is Not A Point Guard
With Fred VanVleet sidelined, the Rockets have been trying to fill the hole at point guard all season. Recently, they’ve settled on Amen Thompson to play the role, and he started at the point against the Bulls as he has for most of the season. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be the right role for Amen, who finished with more turnovers (three) than assists (two) tonight.
While Houston got the win today, it was messier than it needed to be with the current state of the offense. At this point, there’s a strong case to be made that Amen’s presence on the ball disrupts the entire flow of the team, and coach Ime Udoka should consider moving him back to an off-ball role. Alternatively, the Rockets should try someone like Reed Sheppard to initiate the offense and get better looks for everyone.
