Matchup features NBA’s best offense
INDIANAPOLIS — After starting their road trip against the NBA’s best defense, the Rockets move on to a game against the league’s best offense. They hope things go better at Indianapolis than Minneapolis.
That will not be easy with point guard Fred VanVleet out with a strained left adductor, though Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton might also miss the game, listed as questionable for strained left hamstring maintenance.
The Timberwolves shut down the Rockets’ offense Sunday, as they had in the previous meeting. The Rockets did not have trouble scoring against the Pacers when they played at Toyota Center but could not get stops, losing 123-117.
The Rockets have an eight-game losing streak against the Pacers, including their past three trips to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Rockets have won just two of their nine road games since the start of January, beating only the Pistons and Hornets, teams in the bottom five of the league.
The Pacers lead the league in scoring, points per possession, shooting percentage and assists, and they are on pace to have the best offensive rating in NBA history.
Another tough task
After facing the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards on Sunday, with Edwards rolling through a 22-point third quarter on his way to scoring 32 points, the Rockets could face the Pacers’ Haliburton, who has given them headaches, too.
Haliburton’s availability is uncertain. The Pacers are 7-6 in games he has missed this season.
Haliburton missed 10 games with a strained hamstring and has been playing limited minutes, no more than 22, in the four games since he returned. He averaged 14.8 points on 52.3% shooting and five assists in those games.
Haliburton is the only player to have three career games with 20 points, 17 assists and no turnovers, doing it three times this season.
He had 33 points, making 13 of 21 shots including 7 of 13 3s, and 10 assists in the first meeting with the Rockets. In the past two seasons, Haliburton has averaged 27 points, on 50.9% shooting, and 12.3 assists against the Rockets.
In the painted area
The Rockets went from their best game scoring in the paint to one of their worst. Scoring and defending in the lane can be especially important against the Pacers.
The Rockets had scored a season-high 84 points in the paint Friday, making 77.7% of their shots inside against the Raptors. When Rockets coach Ime Udoka cleared his bench with 4:16 left Sunday, the Rockets had scored 30 points in the paint on 15-of-43 (34.9%) shooting.
The Pacers score and allow the most paint points in the league, offering the Rockets an opportunity to turn things around inside. They scored 74 points in the paint against Indiana in the first meeting and allowed just 44, with the Pacers making up the difference at the 3-point line, making 19 3s.
Early reunion
Before VanVleet returns to Toronto for the first time since leaving the Raptors to sign with the Rockets, he will see one of the other key players in the Raptors’ run to the 2019 championship (as well as the G League title they won together to start their careers).
Pascal Siakam, dealt to the Pacers last month, is coming off perhaps his best game since the trade, scoring 25 points with nine assists and eight rebounds in a win over the Hornets on Sunday.
In 10 games with the Pacers, Siakim is averaging 21.6 points on 56.2% shooting, along with 7.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists, solidifying the Pacers’ starting lineup on both ends.
A pointed question
VanVleet has missed two games this season, both losses in the second game of a back-to-back and both on the road to championship contenders, the Celtics and Nuggets.
Rookie Amen Thompson got the start at Boston (he was out with a sprained ankle at Denver) and would seem likely to start again, since he has been the Rockets’ first player off the bench in the past six games. He has played well in that stretch, averaging 9.2 points on 58.8% shooting along with 6.2 rebounds in just 18.5 minutes per game.
Thompson had 15 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in his lone start. His starting could elevate Aaron Holiday, who started the other game VanVleet missed, in the rotation, though the Rockets could use Jalen Green to initiate offense in a backcourt with Cam Whitmore.
Whitmore has scored in double figures in his past eight games, the longest streak ever for a Rockets rookie off the bench.
He has averaged 17 points with 46.7% shooting in those games.
Pedal to the metal
The Rockets have emphasized playing with greater pace, especially with their second unit, and have been better in recent games at getting into their offense before defenses get set.
That will be an even greater priority with VanVleet out.
They have scored at least 20 fast-break points in three of the past four games. They averaged 13.6 points on the break before those games, a league-high 22.8 since.
The Pacers are fourth in the NBA in fast-break scoring, averaging 16.2 fast-break points, but had just 12 against the Rockets in the first meeting, with Houston allowing the fewest fast-break points in the NBA this season.