After Lillard, Jokic presents next obstacle
Two days after the Rockets surrendered 71 points to the NBA’s third-leading scorer Damian Lillard, they must face the league’s leader in triple-doubles.
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets come to town Tuesday with a 43-19 record, currently the top seed in the Western Conference and up 5.5 games on the second-place Grizzlies.
Houston, in contrast, has lost its last nine games and sits in last place at 13-47.
The Rockets lost back-toback games to the Nuggets in Denver on Nov. 28 and 30. They host the Nuggets at Toyota Center this week and again for their final home game of the season on April 4.
Here are five things to watch in Tuesday’s game:
Who plays for Houston?
Rockets guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green both have the potential to return for Tuesday’s game after missing the last 19 and two games, respectively.
On the road trip, Green tweaked his jump shot with help from Rockets assistant coach John Lucas. The new version uses less legs, which Lucas said is designed to manage Green’s groin strain and to streamline his motion on catchand-shoots.
Houston also signed center Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract Monday in order to get the roster to the 14 players required under contract. CauleyStein, who was previously with the Rockets’ G-League affiliate this season, joins a center rotation that includes Usman Garuba, Boban Marjanovic and Frank Kaminsky behind starter Alperen Sengun.
Not Tate’s time
Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate has taken on more responsibility in the offense with the starting backcourt out, transforming into one of Houston’s most high-volume shot takers and scorers especially after Green’s injury. But he will not play against the Nuggets, sitting out for ankle injury maintenance.
Even with Green’s likely return, the Rockets will miss Tate’s efficiency. In the last two games, Tate shot 56.5 percent (13-of-23) from the field and averaged 15.5 points.
Against both the Warriors and the Trail Blazers, Tate was aggressive driving to the basket and scored early and often in opening quarters. In Portland, however, he was hampered by foul trouble and limited to playing just 25 minutes.
Boarding school
Houston ranks second in per-game rebounding differential (plus 4.9) after finishing last in each of the previous two seasons. Denver, though, outrebounded Houston by 4.5 rebounds per game in the first two meetings this season, led by Jokic’s 10.5 boards per game.
Jokic ranks third in rebounding average this season (11.7). The Nuggets rank 18th in the NBA in rebounds per game but fourth in rebounding percentage, as they secure 51.6 percent of available rebounds — mostly on the defensive end.
Defensive dilemma
Sengun, nicknamed “Baby Joker” by some teammates and other players around the league, relishes playing against Jokic, who he considers a role model. Yet Rockets coach Stephen Silas has grown increasingly frustrated with Sengun’s poor defense and benched him for the final portions of back-toback games in San Francisco and Portland.
Silas’ main criticisms pertain to Sengun’s inability to protect the middle of the floor in pickand-roll coverage. The Nuggets play the second-fewest pickand-roll ball handler possessions in the NBA. But when they give the ball to the roll man, as they do more often, they lead the NBA in points per possession (1.34).
It is true that neither Sengun nor Rockets starting power forward Jabari Smith Jr. defend ball screens well. Garuba could be better suited to do so, but he has been exceptionally foulprone in his last couple games. And the Rockets’ defensive rotations have been so bad that help to contain drivers often arrives too late, or not at all.
Take it Eason
Rockets rookie Tari Eason came off the bench and sparked a second-half rally against the Blazers, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the second half. His layup with 7:26 remaining got the Rockets within five points, the closest they came before the Blazers and Lillard pulled away.
Playing in front of more than 30 family members and friends at the Moda Center, Eason, who grew up in Washington state and played AAU ball for a Portland-based club, notched his fifth career double-double. He finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds after averaging 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in the five games prior.