When the Rockets had their turn in the national spotlight during the NBA Cup semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder two weeks ago, poor shooting undermined Houston once again.
On Thursday, the Rockets capped a 3-0 road trip with a 128-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, extending their winning streak to four since losing to the Thunder in Las Vegas. Undergirding the Rockets’ current run of success is an offense that has found a rhythm.
The Rockets will open a five-game homestand against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday on a roll.
Houston is shooting 48.1 percent during its winning streak, including an impressive 57.4 percent inside the 3-point arc. The Rockets have already established their credentials as one of the league’s best defensive teams, but their inefficient offense has proven to be a stumbling block.
“We had the same looks against OKC in Las Vegas and missed those same looks,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said of the recent bump in shooting percentage. “It would have been nice to have them that night against a team that loads up the paint and tries to make you prove it.
“Guys are shooting with confidence, putting in the work. We’ve had some days to get some legs up under us and, yeah, have had some big shooting nights lately. And, obviously, when you play defense at the level we are and make shots, you have good results.”
Houston won the final two games of its road trip without forwards Dillon Brooks (ankle) and Tari Eason (leg), with the status for both unknown against the Timberwolves. Even without that defensive-minded tandem, the Rockets have shown ample depth and their offense continues to thrive, with the starting backcourt of Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet combining for 55 points against the Pelicans while reserve Cam Whitmore chipped in a career-high 27.
The Timberwolves seemingly had it all clicking with a stretch of six wins in seven games before a showdown with the New York Knicks — their partner in an offseason trade that reshaped both rosters — on Dec. 19.
What followed was a 26-point loss that sent Minnesota into another tailspin: a three-game skid snapped with a 105-99 home victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas that inched the Timberwolves back above .500.
Minnesota rolled the dice by shipping Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks after advancing to the Western Conference finals last season. The additions of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have taken awhile to coalesce.
Anthony Edwards continues to serve as the Timberwolves’ fulcrum, and his late heroics prevented a colossal collapse after Dallas shaved a 28-point deficit to one possession inside the final minute. However, Minnesota remains a bottom-10 offense despite Edwards’ influence, and its inability to find the proper gear is taking longer than expected.
“We’ve got a good group of guys,” Edwards said. “It’s all about having patience. It’s a different team so we’ve got to have patience to be able to get it together. Sometimes it looks good, sometimes it looks bad and we’re still trying to figure it out.
“I think patience is what’s going to take us over the top. Being able to wait and figure it out, and once we figure it out, we’ll be all right.”
