My grades from tonight’s backbreaking loss against the Bucks.
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Luis Scola, PF 36 MIN | 7-11 FG | 4-5 FT | 8 REB | 0 AST | 18 PTS | -2
Meh. But I’m biased. The pump fake from Drew Gooden of all people that he bit on at the 3 point line at the end of the game was all you needed to see to know about Scola’s defensive abilities. |
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Chandler Parsons, F 36 MIN | 7-14 FG | 2-3 FT | 7 REB | 5 AST | 16 PTS | +4
16-7-5 for the rookie with some clutch drives to the hoop to help get the Rockets back in it. One of Parsons’ best outings of the year. It’s hard to believe the guy is in his first year in the NBA. The more I watch him, the more I feel he will be filling that starting spot for this team for quite some time. Players that can basically do everything on the floor at an above to above average level are an extremely rare breed. And Houston found him in the 2nd round. Just incredible. Once his shot come around–and that’s the easiest thing in basketball, maybe even sports to develop–he’s going to explode. For now, it’s the defense and understanding of angles on the offensive end that are keeping him productive to the final output even when the ball isn’t going in the hoop. |
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Samuel Dalembert, C 30 MIN | 4-9 FG | 5-6 FT | 18 REB | 0 AST | 13 PTS | -11
Another monster, monster game in the box score for Dalembert, but it was his counterpart who controlled the game early before leaving due to injury. Bogut controlled the game from the tip, clogging the middle and preventing the Rockets from entering the paint. Still, that doesn’t discount Sam’s production. |
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Kevin Martin, SG 36 MIN | 12-22 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 29 PTS | +2
Good scoring production from K-Mart but the Rockets needed points from their most explosive scorer during draughts in the second half. He didn’t deliver during the key moments when it mattered. |
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Kyle Lowry, PG 43 MIN | 2-16 FG | 2-4 FT | 8 REB | 10 AST | 8 PTS | -3
It’s hard to give anything but an A to a guy that had 10 assists and 8 boards, but Lowry’s set the bar pretty high for himself from prior performance. Going 2-16 (2-9 from ‘3’), the Rockets sorely missed the points of which they had come to expect from their fearless leader. His counterpart, Brandon Jennings, went 6-16, but some of those misses came against Goran Dragic. |
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Three Things We Saw
- Just a backbreaking loss for the Rockets. It wasn’t just the nature of the game itself but that it always hurts more when it’s a long streak snapped. Houston could have run its streak to 8, with games at home coming up against the lowly Wizards and Knicks, but instead, it’s back to square one.
- Andrew Bogut controlled this game from the very start, clogging the paint and stifling the Rockets into tough outside shots. In some ways, you could argue the Rockets didn’t choke – they would never have built up the lead they took into the half had Mr. Bogut not gone down. It’s a good thing he resides in the East because there are few players in the league that cause the Rockets more trouble. Maybe the most underrated big man in basketball and someone I’d love to acquire.
- This was troubling but what can you expect? The Rockets were riding a high, playing over their heads and were bound to hit a snag at some point. They’ll get right back at it and recover, though – that’s the nature of this group. McHale won’t let this hang-over. I expect the team to come out roaring on Friday.
