The Rockets had a good first quarter, taking the lead through pick-and-rolls from Green and Shin and Jabari Smith Jr.'s misplaced offense inside. Holiday has caused the Rockets to have problems on both ends of the floor. The Pacers were adept at exploiting the Rockets' interior defense, frequently attacking the basket to score, and the Rockets trailed 39-41 at the end of the first quarter.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Rockets launched a counterattack and overtook the score to 48-41 with a wave of 8:1. Old Green played 2+1 strongly, and the Pacers steadily chased the points. The Rockets were active on the offensive end, but there were still holes on the defensive end, and the Pacers closed the gap with a series of offenses. Jalen Green has been outstanding, but the overall defense is still a concern. At halftime, the Rockets led 75-68.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Jalen Green scored on a layup, but the Rockets' defensive problems became more and more obvious, leaking people from the outside and losing from the inside, causing the Pacers to quickly chase down to 2 points. Amen Thompson's dribbling error put the Pacers in the lead. Although the Rockets once extended the margin to 10 points, they were quickly tied due to poor defense. At the end of the third quarter, the Rockets trailed 99-106.
In the fourth quarter, the Rockets' performance was still unable to hold the point difference, the Pacers attacked easily, and the Rockets' interior defense was obviously leaky. Amen Thompson missed two free throws and didn't shoot well. The Rockets lacked discipline on the offensive end, with a double-digit margin of points halfway through the fourth quarter. Jalen Green came on and tried his best to chase down points, but the defense was still shaky. In the end, the Rockets trailed 124-129 in the final minute, and the interior defensive problems were once again revealed.
At the end of the game, although the Rockets ushered in a wave of counterattacks, it was still difficult to defend the Pacers' offense inside. Green hit a three-pointer to keep the game in suspense, but the Rockets still lost 129-132 to the Pacers. Throughout the game, the Rockets' hard work declined, and holes on the defensive end became a fatal problem. Hopefully, the Rockets can adjust their form in the next games, improve their defensive performance, and achieve a better record.