Road trip isn’t getting any easier
CLEVELAND — After they were walloped in Memphis on Friday, the Rockets might have a difficult time believing the road trip will get tougher. A case can be made, however, that it will.
They move from consecutive games against the Grizzlies to Cleveland to face a Cavaliers team that has won eight of 10 games, is coming off a last-second win in Brooklyn and has won six of its past eight meetings with the Rockets.
In the first meeting this season, the Cavaliers led by as much as 32. The Rockets trailed on Friday by as much as 41. It left an impression.
“You can't get too down on yourself, but that's unacceptable,” Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. said. “You got to have more pride, have more up about yourself because it doesn't get any easier, to Cleveland, New York and Brooklyn. We got to throw (Friday's blowout) out the window and learn from it.”
The game is the first of a back-to-back, with the Rockets facing a rest disadvantage in each of the remaining three games of the trip, including the second half of a back-toback in New York on Monday where the Knicks will have had three off days between games.
The Cavaliers seem safely in fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, with a fivegame lead on the Knicks. But they could still make a run at third, trailing the 76ers by three games.
After consecutive road games against the team with the NBA's best homecourt record, the Rockets will play the team with the fourth-best record on its home court.
“Road trips are hard,” Rockets forward Tari Eason said. “We have to try to finish out strong.”
Here are five things to watch when the Rockets face the Cavaliers.
1. An early start
The Rockets will have a quick turnaround from the loss in Memphis and late-night flight to Cleveland to the early tip. Among the lessons taken from the losses to the Grizzlies might have been to be ready from the opening tip, especially on the defensive end.
The Grizzlies averaged 39 first-quarter points in the wins in Memphis. The Cavaliers scored 37 in the opening quarter in the January win in Houston.
“We have to be ready at all times,” Eason said.
“It's incredibly hard to win in this league. It's hard to win one, harder to win two, and for us, almost impossible to win three. Just knowing every game, you can't take it for granted. There's not going to be an easy night. You have to bring it every single time you step on the floor. Just continuing to know that, hopefully that will set a tone for the rest of the season. You can't come out lackadaisical and expect anything other than the results (on Friday.)”
2. Backcourt battle
The Rockets must at least hold their own in the backcourt. That won't be easy.
In the first meeting, Jalen Green struggled, making 2 of 9 shots and scoring just six points. Kevin Porter Jr., who will be playing in Cleveland for the first time since his rookie season with the Cavs in 2019-20, did not play in the game in Houston.
Green had 32 points on the first game of the trip, but just 13 on Friday. Porter followed a triple-double on Wednesday with 20 points on 7 of 12 shooting with seven assists on Friday.
Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell did not play against the Rockets in Toyota Center but is having a career year. After scoring 31 points in Brooklyn on Thursday, he is averaging a career-best 27.5 points per game. He has scored at least 30 points in 27 games, with LeBron James the only Cavaliers player to have reached 30 more often in a season. His 222 3s are a franchise record and 10 shy of the most in his career.
He became the first player in NBA history to have double-digit assists while scoring 70 points or more, getting 71 points and 11 assists and eight rebounds against the Bulls.
Darius Garland is making a career best 41.4 percent of his 3-pointers, averaging 21.7 points per game to match his career high. His 7.8 assists per game are eighth most in the NBA.
3. On the plus side
Though the Rockets were blown out on Friday, they got relatively strong performances from their rookie forwards, Smith and Eason, with Smith in particular on the upswing in recent weeks.
They combined for 41 points on 18 of 29 shooting against the Grizzlies on Friday.
Eason led the Rockets with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the first meeting with the Cavaliers. In his past nine games,
Smith is averaging 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds, making 2.2 3s per game on 42.6 percent shooting. He had multiple 3s in just six of his previous 26 games, a stretch in which he made just 21.3 percent of his 3-pointers.
After a matchup with Jaren Jackson Jr., a leading contender for Defensive Player of the Year honors, Smith will go against
Evan Mobley, another outstanding defensive player with a rapidly blossoming offensive game.
Mobley, who is seventh in the NBA in defensive rating, on Thursday in Brooklyn had 26 points on 11 of 18 shooting, with 16 rebounds and four blocked shots, becoming the first Cavaliers player to ever get 20 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots in a game without a turnover.
He has averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds in his two games against the Rockets.
4. Second thoughts
The Rockets will play a third consecutive game against the team with the second-ranked defense in the NBA.
When they began the road trip, the Cavaliers had the top-ranked defense with the Grizzlies second. When they play in Cleveland, the Cavs will be second, behind only the Bucks.
The Rockets scored well enough against the Grizzlies, but the Cavaliers represent an especially tough test.
The Cavs allow the fewest points per game, fewest field goals, fewest assists, second fewest 3s per game and second fewest rebounds per game. Even the Rockets' usual strength in scoring on second chance points does not offer much of an opening. The Cavs allow the fourth fewest second chance points.
The Cavaliers have the most double-digit wins in the NBA, holding teams shy of 100 points 22 times, the most in the NBA.
5. Short-handed again
The Rockets will be without guard/forward/ center Jae'Sean Tate for a third consecutive game because of a sore left knee, an absence that left a void they struggled to fill in Memphis, and not just because he plays three positions off the bench.
Tate has served as the backup point guard, with the second unit missing the direction and organization he can bring.
The Rockets had hoped he would be back on Saturday, and he was looking forward to playing in Ohio, where friends and family make the trip to see him, and where he could go against Pickerington (Ohio) High School teammate Caris LeVert, the Cavs' sixth man.
Tate was unlikely to play in both games of the back-to-back so the night off in Cleveland will give him an extra day to come back from the injury, but will bring a disappointment for him, and another challenge for the Rockets.