Rebound possible vs. last-place Pistons
The Rockets’ road trip began less than optimally, with losses to the Heat and Bulls, though the third of six away games brings an opponent the Rockets have already beaten once this season.
Friday’s game against the NBA’s last-place Pistons (3-35) is the first of a back-to-back for the Rockets, who then play the Celtics in Boston on Saturday. The Rockets blew out the Pistons 136-113 at Toyota Center on New Year’s Day.
This week’s rematch will again pit Rockets rookie Amen Thompson against his twin brother, Pistons guard Ausar Thompson. It is also a chance for Houston (18-18) to get its record back above .500 against a team that has not been anywhere near it this season.
Beware the 3
Before the current road trip, the Rockets were holding opponents to an average of 11.6 made 3pointers per game on a league-best 32.8% shooting.
The Rockets gave up 15 3-pointers to the Heat on 41.7% shooting and 19 to the Bulls (17 in regulation) on 40.4% shooting, the second time this season that two Rockets opponents have shot better than 40% from deep in consecutive games. The other occurrence was in consecutive losses to the Pacers and Suns last month.
The Rockets are 0-13 in games where they make fewer 3s than their opponent.
Lineup may be in flux
Forward Jae’Sean Tate started the Rockets’ last eight games in place of the injured Dillon Brooks. While Tate started the game against the Bulls, he played just 18 minutes and scored three points on three shots. Rockets coach Ime Udoka opted to start Jeff Green over Tate in the second half and Cam Whitmore over Tate in overtime. Udoka said he wanted more size defensively and a bigger scoring punch.
Udoka said it’s possible those lineup changes could persist until the Rockets get back Brooks (oblique) and Tari Eason (left leg). Although Eason is unlikely to play on the road trip, Udoka on Wednesday was optimistic that Brooks could be back within the next four games.
“Everything’s possible,” Udoka said. “I think we designated starters with those guys out and so we can look at all the different lineups with different personnel of teams we’re playing against, and you know, anything is possible right now. And Dillon will be back soon, so that will kind of put guys back into their natural spots.”
More Whitmore
Rookie Cam Whitmore has taken advantage of the Rockets’ injuries and carved out a spot for himself in Udoka’s rotation, impressing with his aggressive and physical play. Against the Bulls, in his 13th NBA game, Whitmore had season highs in minutes (33) and points (16) while matching season highs in field-goal makes and attempts (6-of-12).
In his last five games, Whitmore is averaging 12.2 points on 53.5% shooting with 3.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 18.9 minutes played. He is also shooting 47.1% on 3s in that span.
Series superiority
The Rockets have won four straight against the Pistons after losing four of the previous five meetings. A Rockets win Friday would be their fourth straight in Detroit, which would be the longest streak in the all-time series, and would give Houston five consecutive wins vs. the Pistons for the first time since a series-best seven-game span from Dec. 7, 2010, to March 1, 2014.
Two of the Pistons’ three wins this season were at Little Caesars Arena, most recently a 129-127 win over the Raptors on Dec. 30 that ended Detroit’s NBA record-tying losing streak at 28 games.
Smith’s growth shows
Rockets second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. logged his seventh doubledouble of the season with 18 points and 15 rebounds in a season-high 47 minutes in the overtime loss to the Bulls. He has recorded a double-double in two of his last three games, and since entering the league, he ranks second on the Rockets in double-doubles with 23.
Smith said he thinks his defense has improved more than his offense since his rookie season, and Wednesday’s game made it evident. He guarded veteran Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan as part of the Rockets’ outstanding defensive fourth quarter and showed his versatility on defense throughout the game by guarding all three frontcourt positions.
“I think as a rookie, I couldn’t guard,” Smith said. “I couldn’t be matched up on (Bulls center Nikola) Vucevic. I couldn’t be matched up on (Andre) Drummond, those types of guys. So I think it’s definitely a bigger progression.”