Role players fill holes as the injuries mount
You’d be hard-pressed to find a game lately where the Rockets weren’t shorthanded, but Wednesday especially so after Kevin Porter Jr.’s early third-quarter ankle injury left them with six players for the remainder of a 20point loss to the 76ers.
Friday, the Rockets play in Milwaukee. Last time out against the Bucks, Porter dropped 50 points and 11 assists in an April 29 home win. This time, the Rockets will have to make do without him; he was listed as out in the team’s injury report Thursday.
So it’s of some small comfort that the Rockets appear to be getting the best out of their inexperienced role players — even if they have no other choice.
Wednesday was the Rockets’ fifth game in a row with at least eight players out. Five of the seven who played — everyone except
Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley — have fewer than two full seasons of NBA experience.
“We were talking before the game, we were going to need some guys to step up and produce,” Silas said. “And they did.”
KJ Martin, making his second career start, tallied a career-high 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists after not having more than three assists prior.
Before his injury, Porter was setting the tone for the Rockets on offense by getting the ball moving. He was 6 of 13 from the field with 16 points and five assists.
Reserves Armoni Brooks and Anthony Lamb, who played together on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League bubble this winter, combined for 42 points and 10 of the Rockets’ 17 3-pointers.
Second-year guard DaQuan Jeffries, though he only scored five points, had six rebounds and played well defensively.
“He got the ball,” Silas said. “He was running ahead of the ball and had some opportunities at the rim and wasn’t afraid of shooting the three.”
The performances, for the most part, encompass a trend that’s developed as the younger players take advantage of more opportunities borne from the depleted roster.
Martin has scored in double figures in five of the last six games.
Lamb is averaging 10 points on 48.6 percent shooting (40.9 percent on 3s) in the past five games after averaging 2.3 points on 24.4 percent shooting (20.8 percent on 3s) his first 13 games played.
Porter has posted at least 10 points and five assists in each of the past five games.
Olynyk, who paced the Rockets against the 76ers with a near triple-double, said he and the other veteran players have tried to guide their younger teammates through a trying season.
“I’m proud of these young guys,” Olynyk said. “I know guys have been in and out of the lineup. We’ve been undermanned. We haven’t had time to work offensively, defensively, practice — any of that. So they’re kind of just thrown in the fire and kind of scratching and clawing, trying to make ends meet. And they’ve done a good job and they’ve done it with their heads high and keep working. … And that’s something you appreciate, especially being out there in the battle with them.”
At times, battle felt like an apt description. Six Rockets logged more than 31 minutes of playing time. Three — Martin, Jeffries and Lamb — set new career highs in minutes. Porter logged 23 minutes before spraining his ankle. Bradley, who is still recovering from a calf injury, played just 25 minutes.
Silas said he called a few timeouts late in the game specifically to get his players some rest.
For Olynyk, who was tasked with battling center Joel Embiid in the post, the physical fatigue was noticeable.
“Definitely at the end of the game, I knew I played a basketball game, I’ll tell you that much,” Olynyk said, chuckling.
Martin, 10 years Olynyk’s junior, had a quicker bounceback.
“I’m a little bit tired, but I feel good,” Martin said. “I could go play another game right now if I wanted to.”
The Rockets need him to keep that energy for Friday’s game against the Bucks. But first: a much-needed off day Thursday for rest, recovery and (hopefully) reinforcements. danielle.lerner@chron.com twitter.com/danielle_lerner