Fill-ins deliver a scare in loss
8-man lineup fights back late to make it close
Rockets rookie KJ Martin, in a display of 20-yearold bounce and bravado, took a Kelly Olynyk lob with his left hand, slammed it home, then turned to shout at Bucks veteran center Brook Lopez.
Lopez had just dunked all over Martin, though he might not have known he was in some sort of duel. So as Martin let out his shout, Lopez feigned fright with the exaggerated expression of an actor auditioning for a role in the next Ghostbusters movie.
The Rockets, with the collection of rookies out of the G League and other fill-ins they needed to get to eight players Friday, actually put a real scare into the Bucks, hanging around within two until late in the third quarter. That got the Bucks’ attention enough for a 29-13 run that built an 18-point lead, enough of a cushion to hold on and beat the Rockets 141-133 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
Even then, the Rockets fought to the end, getting within 10 midway through the fourth quarter and trailing by just seven with the ball and a minute left.
They just could not get stops with the Bucks coming at them with waves of scorers.
Martin, in his second
NBA start, matched his career high with 26, adding seven rebounds and seven assists. Olynyk had 23 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Seven of the Rockets’ eight active players scored in double figures, with Danuel House Jr., Armoni Brooks and Martin all recording career highs in assists as the Rockets totaled a season-high 35.
But the Bucks had the highest-scoring game of the season for a Rockets opponent, topping their own 136 points even with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring just two in the second half. The entire starting lineup had at least 17 points, with Lopez scoring 24 on 7-of-8 shooting, Khris Middleton getting 23, and Jrue Holiday adding 20.
The Rockets were shorthanded even by their standards. They not only added an 18th player, needing a hardship exemption to sign Khyri Thomas to a 10-day contract, they played with 10 players out.
Thomas, who had a career-high 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, gave them the necessary eight players for Friday night’s game. When he checked into the game in the first quarter, he gave them a share of the NBA record with 28 players seeing action this season, including 22 who have started.
Rookie two-way player Anthony Lamb got his first start of the season Friday.
If all that did not make the bid to stun the Bucks enough of a long shot, the idea seemed even more unlikely with the Rockets having done just that less than two weeks ago, offering the sort of warning that went well beyond anything a fretting coach could offer. And this time, the Rockets were trying to beat the Bucks with Antetokounmpo, who played less than a minute in Houston, back at apparent full strength.
They made a run at it by shooting well from deep as they rarely have of late — absent the two games against the Bucks — making 11-of-26 3-pointers in the first half. Thomas made all four of his shots in the first half, scoring nine points. Martin, often left open by the Bucks’ determination to protect the paint, knocked down three 3-pointers in the first half.
Most of all, the Bucks’ 14 turnovers helped keep the Rockets within 64-63 at halftime.
Given their limited lineup and the probability that the Bucks would execute better in the second half, the Rockets seemed unlikely to stay in the game for long after intermission. Then again, that was no more unlikely than keeping it close as long as they had.
Even when the Bucks showed off their prolific offense, the Rockets had another rally in them, enough to keep the game at least somewhat in doubt until the final minute.