The Grizzlies hurt a bunch of people, and the 76ers didn't have Embiid on their side, so there was obviously nothing to watch, so the Rockets added an All-American live broadcast.
For the sake of live broadcasting, the kick-off time of this game was advanced by half an hour, and under normal circumstances, Houston's home stadium starts at 9 o'clock.
Udoka recently gave an interview to Houston reporter Kelly Eco, and he said that he is well aware that the Rockets are a young team with many problems, and he has a heavy task to transform. Udoka admits that young players need to understand that things don't happen overnight, and that they need to keep instilling good habits that will stay with them for the rest of their careers. He has coached experienced teams before, and players who have played for many years can also make mistakes in terms of habits and playing tendencies. The Rockets' youngsters need to constantly try to get out of their comfort zone, and it will take longer, whether it's half a season or a full season, or longer. The players are learning, growing and changing themselves at different speeds.
Jeff Green played in 56 regular season games last season averaging 19 minutes per game, and so far this season he has played 59 times averaging 16 minutes per game. Green Sr. was indeed too tired, and he was absent from the game. On the other hand, Smith Jr. was out of shape due to illness, and Udoka was ready to put Tate in danger.
Sengun, who scored 45 points, 16 rebounds and 5 steals in the last game, dedicated the victory to Ethan. Ethan also couldn't wait to play alongside his teammates, and he got up and walked around the day after the surgery to get back to training as soon as possible.
The Rockets' youngsters still want to make the play-offs, even if it's back-to-back, and they once led by a big margin but couldn't hold on to the end. In the end, the Rockets suffered a big reversal in the national live broadcast and lost to the Clippers.
Fans rated Whitmore the highest on the team after the game. The White Devils scored 17 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, and he scored nine points in the second quarter to help the Rockets lead, and scored five points in the fourth quarter to stop the bleeding for the Rockets. Whitmore has played well in the last two games since his special training at the University of Houston, and the Rockets have indeed picked up the treasure.
Harden had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, including 11 points and 4 assists in 12 minutes of the final quarter. Jalen Green had 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 turnovers, and he played 5 minutes in the final quarter and scored 0 points, which was disappointing. Jalen Green once admitted on the George show that Harden's return is a double-edged sword, with pros and cons. Green became a laughing stock after the game, and many fans mocked him.
Sengun had 23 points, 19 rebounds, 14 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers, and he didn't play well in the final moments, probably due to the impact of his physical fitness.
Smith Jr. had 19 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks, and he really did his best.
Van Jordan has 15 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals, which is not as good as Harden and is not worth 40 million.
Dillon had 11 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, Amen had 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal, Landale had 4 points and 1 board, and Tate had 0 points, 1 rebound and 2 turnovers.
Green scored the first goal on a breakaway for the Rockets, Sengun hit a jumper and Van Jordan hit a three-pointer. Harden was a little excited to return to Houston, and he started aggressively, playing 2+1 against Smith Jr.'s defense. Amen came up and scored a layup, and Sengun assisted Green for a three-pointer. Sengun scored back-to-back baskets to give the Rockets a 10-point lead. Whitmore calmly hit a three-pointer from the outside, but his buzzer-beating shot missed.
The Clippers, who trailed by eight points in the first quarter, hit a small climax in the second quarter to narrow the gap to four points. Holiday had a three-pointer and a quick shot, Van Jordan made a quick steal, and Whitmore dunked domineeringly. Whitmore went into furious mode after being hatted by Harden, and he received consecutive layups from Amen, as well as three-pointers, to help the Rockets pull away. Van Jordan's three-pointer was the icing on the cake, bringing the margin to 20 points.
The Clippers fought back with all their might after a timeout to adjust, and the Rockets' offense slipped and made a series of mistakes. Harden scored a layup with just 10 points. Dillon stepped up and scored five points on an outside shot, Harden steals Tate, and the Rockets still have a 13-point lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Smith Jr. and Van Jordan hit three-pointers one after another, and the Clippers found their offensive rhythm to continue to narrow the score. Green faced Theis to score 2+1 and scored a layup. The Clippers picked up momentum, and Leonard hit a step-back jumper to give the Rockets a six-point lead after three quarters.
Sengun's breakaway in the fourth quarter brought the margin back to 10 points, but the Clippers eventually tied it with a Leonard jumper. In the last 3 minutes, the two sides played a decisive battle. Sengun made 1 of 2 free throws and Plumlee missed 2 of 2 free throws. The Clippers had a superstar to lead by five points, Smith Jr. hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, Sengun missed two free throws, and Van Jordan received a technical foul. Green missed, Harden hit two free throws, and the Rockets were gone.