Golden opportunity to end skid is at hand
SAN ANTONIO — The Rockets will go from consecutive games against the top two teams in the Western Conference to consecutive games against the team that joins them in the bottom two.
For the second consecutive season, the Rockets will bring an 11-game losing streak into the 63rd game of their season. A year ago, they lost one more on the road, then returned home to break the losing streak.
The weekend back-toback with the Spurs begins in San Antonio before the teams complete the season series Sunday at Toyota Center.
Games against the Spurs could offer a path for the Rockets to end the longest active losing streak in the NBA, but Houston has lost each of the first two meetings, including a 19-point loss in their most recent game. The Rockets have allowed 121 points per game on 55.4 percent shooting in their meetings with the Spurs this season.
Though the Rockets and Spurs are close on the bottom of the standings, separated by 2½ games, they are trending in different directions, at least this week. The Rockets have lost by an average of 15.8 points in their losing streak. The Spurs have won their past two games since a 16-game skid.
Better than advertised?
If not for the Spurs’ defensive rating, the Rockets would rank last in the NBA offensively and last in the NBA defensively.
But the Rockets have not had much success against the Spurs’ defense, averaging just 107 points on 43.8 percent shooting, including 26.5 percent from the 3-point line. But if that were not enough for the Rockets to view the Spurs’ defense as a greater challenge than the stats would indicate, San Antonio’s two games this week have shown signs of significant improvement.
The Jazz and Pacers combined to average just 96.5 points on 40.6 percent shooting, including 31.6 percent on 3-pointers. Both were short-handed, the Jazz playing without Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton and the Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton. But the Rockets know well that just playing a team without a key scorer is not enough to solve defensive issues. The earlier games against the Spurs were examples of that, with San Antonio’s top two scorers this season, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, each missing one.
Rising stars?
Both teams added a pair of first-round picks who could be essential to their rebuilds, players who have shown potential but also will need time.
The Rockets will need more from their struggling first pick. Jabari Smith Jr. has made just 1 of 16 3-pointers in the four games since the All-Star break, averaging just 7.0 points in the past three games. But Tari Eason, the Rockets’ second pick in the draft, has excelled in recent games. In his past three games, Eason has averaged 14 points on 51.5 percent shooting and 9.7 rebounds, including averaging five offensive boards.
The Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan has averaged 10.5 points on 44.6 percent shooting, including 25.4 percent 3-point shooting. But in the two wins this week, he averaged 17.5 points and even ran the point at times against the Pacers. Malaki Branham, who was taken three picks after Eason, has averaged 9.3 points on 44.4 percent shooting.
Turnover a new leaf ?
A four-game sample size might be a bit small considering the Rockets’ seasonlong turnover issues, but they have shown signs of progress since the All-Star break on one of their greatest, most unrelenting shortcomings.
The Rockets in the past four games have averaged just 11.8 turnovers, five fewer than their leaguehigh average.
The Rockets have committed 12.5 turnovers per game against the Spurs this season, so that has not been their greatest issue in those games. The Spurs do not rely on scoring off turnovers, forcing an average of 14 per game, about average in the league. But the Rockets will take any improvement they can get, and that would be an important one.
Going Green
Rockets guard Jalen Green has played well in his two games since returning Tuesday from a groin injury, including a few sensational scoring stretches in both games. But he has struggled against the Spurs.
In the two games against San Antonio, Green has averaged 13.5 points on 27.6 percent shooting.
His play remains crucial to the Rockets. In the 11 wins in which Green has played this season, he has averaged 28.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists, making 51.7 percent of his shots, including 41.1 percent of his 3-pointers. In the past two games, he has averaged 18.5 points while averaging 24 minutes.
Back for back-to-back?
Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., who had been out since Jan. 11, returned Wednesday against the Grizzlies. Vassell, who had been out since Jan. 2, returned Thursday against the Pacers.
The Rockets’ 22-yearold guard, averaging a career high 19 points, and the Spurs’ 22-year-old guard, averaging a careerhigh 19.4 points, are essential rotation players, second in scoring on their teams. But after missing so much time, it is unclear whether Porter will be cleared to play on consecutive nights, while Vassell was ruled out for Saturday’s game for injury management.
Jae’Sean Tate has been playing one game in backto-backs and will miss the first of the weekend’s games. He has not played against the Spurs this season. Guard TyTy Washington Jr. is questionable with an illness after leaving Wednesday’s game with a migraine.
Johnson, the Spurs’ leading scorer, was questionable Thursday before he was ruled out with a foot injury. He is doubtful to play Saturday. He and Vassell each missed one of the two earlier meetings with the Rockets, scoring 32 and 26 points, respectively, in the games they played.
Forward Doug McDermott is out with a sprained right thumb. Forward Romeo Langford is questionable with left adductor tightness.
They are not the only ones whose status for the weekend could be uncertain. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and lead assistant Brett Brown missed Thursday’s game with illnesses.