Gordon needs to stay on roll

WASHINGTON — There was no question Eric Gordon’s 28-point performance Saturday in Cleveland was his best offensive game of the season. The hope for the Rockets is that it will trigger more of the same.

Gordon, who for the season is making 33.6 percent of his shots and 26.2 percent of his 3-pointers, went 8-for-16 on Saturday, including 5-for-11 from 3-point range, in his topscoring game of the season. He had averaged 11 points in his previous six games.

“I hit a couple deep 3s,” Gordon said. “I can’t play bad forever. I’ve just got to be patient, just continue to play a good, balanced game, attacking and knocking down shots. Today was definitely a good start.”

Gordon started as Chris

Paul sat out the second half of a back-to-back. The Sixth Man of the Year winner in 2016-17 and runner-up last season, Gordon is averaging 17.2 points in six starts this season, 13.2 in nine games off the bench.

“It was good,” coach

Mike D’Antoni said of Gordon’s play Saturday. “Hopefully, that will get him started. His role is the sixth man, and we need those points from him, and he gave it to us tonight. When Chris comes back, then we still have to have him going at that clip.”

Rebounding problematic

Though center Clint

Capela is averaging a career-best 11.9 boards per game, the Rockets’ rebounding has fallen off this season, an issue in the past two losses.

The Rockets rank last in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage. In their past two games against the NBA’s top two offensive rebounders, the Pistons’ Andre Drummond and Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson, they allowed 17 and a seasonhigh 23 second-chance points. They rank 15th in the NBA in second-chance points allowed (13.3 per game).

Capela, whose 12 offensive boards Friday were the most in a game in the NBA this season, is fourth on the offensive boards, ninth overall. But he said the Rockets’ switching style will often take him away from the glass on the defensive end.

“Sometimes we switch, and we have a small on (centers), and he gets chances to get offensive rebounds,” Capela said. “Sometimes I’m on the ball guarding the small, trying to block the shot, and he (the opposing center) is coming right behind to get offensive rebounds.”

But the Rockets had the same defensive style last season when they ranked fourth in defensive rebounding percentage.

Bench could be short-handed

As much as depth has been an issue all season, the Rockets’ bench could be even more short-handed Monday against the Wizards.

A game after Chris Paul was held out for “rest” in the second half of a backto-back, he was listed as questionable with a sore left leg to play against the Wizards. Guard Gerald

Green was also listed as questionable because of a sore right ankle.

The bench has averaged 26.7 points, making 38.1 percent of its shots and 27.1 percent of is 3-pointers to rank last in the NBA in each category.

That does not include Paul, the Rockets’ secondleading scorer, who plays roughly 12 minutes per game as backup point guard.