The way the Houston Rockets won on Wednesday, with veteran guard Fred VanVleet missing 7 of 8 shots and scoring only five points, would have seemed impossible last season. But their 110-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks showed just how much the Rockets have developed as a team.
The win ended a two-game losing streak and came in the third game of a five-game homestand, with the next game against the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
Even though VanVleet didn’t score much, he contributed five rebounds, seven assists, and six steals. The Rockets didn’t need his scoring or leadership on offense because other players have stepped up to take on those roles. One of those players, Amen Thompson, was out due to a suspension, but the Rockets were still strong.
Houston has grown more confident, relying on Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green to run the offense when VanVleet isn’t performing at his best. Green scored 22 points and kept the team organized, though he didn’t get any assists.
Sengun led with 23 points and four assists, proving that he can handle the offense from the center position with his good vision and passing skills. The Rockets now have several players, like Green, Sengun, and Thompson, who can take on the responsibility of directing the team, making them less dependent on VanVleet.
“I think across the board, the more guys you have that can get us into sets, penetrate, shoot, drive and all those things, it makes us more balanced and deadly,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “Fred keeping the turnovers down and getting us into sets last year was a big thing for us to improve our offense and improve the team.
The growth of our young guys and those guys taking on that role with Fred being the recipient sometimes can be beneficial for us.”
The Celtics, on the other hand, won 118-115 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday in the first game of a four-game road trip. They did this without Jaylen Brown (shoulder injury) and Kristaps Porzingis (ankle injury).
Jayson Tatum led the way with 33 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. Boston finished 8-6 in December but is staying confident, knowing that the win against the Timberwolves could give them a boost.
“We’ve had a rough stretch the last eight or nine games,” Tatum said. “This January (we’re) trying to turn it around and get back to our identity.”
The road ahead will be tough for the Celtics as they face the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets after their game with the Rockets. Even without Brown and Porzingis, the Celtics showed how to win on the road against tough competition.
“Take it one game at a time,” Tatum said. “I love the way we competed. Our physicality was on point. That’s what it’s going to take. We play four really good, physical teams on the road, and we’re going to need everybody each game.”
