The Houston Rockets had been struggling to achieve liftoff this season. Despite being among the favorites to win the superior Western Conference, the entered today’s game with the same amount of wins and in same position as the lottery lusting Brooklyn Nets.
However, that just made Brooklyn the perfect launch pad to get Houston’s title pursuit started.
After falling behind by double digits early in their last two games, the Nets made it clear they’d had enough early tonight in Space City. Terance Mann
and Michael Porter Jr. each began the game with some added aggression at the offensive end, probing into the paint early and often.
Saraf started again beside those two, Claxton and Cam Thomas. Despite doing so in all of Brooklyn’s games thus far, he hasn’t played as much in second halves, and his case for a change tonight was weak. The far more athletic Amen Thompson had an easy time going left, right, or sometimes over him in the contest’s early minutes.
But between Mann’s hot start and some stay afloat threes from Day’Ron Sharpe and Tyrese Martin, the Nets kept this one a game for almost the entire the first quarter. Yes, almost.
Tari Eason, who had a combined seven points in his first two games, scored eight in about two minutes, propelling Houston on a 15-0 run and into a 42-25 lead after one. First impressions have consistently been poor for Brooklyn this year. They’re now -41 in opening frames on the season.
Eason kept it up the second as well, going on to drop 20 points in his 15 minutes of first half play after nailing five triples. He finished the game with a game-high 22 points, five assists, and five rebounds.
Brooklyn eventually grew wise enough to take a page out of Eason’s book. After throwing the ball around Houston’s zone for a handful of minutes to open the second, curating high percentage looks but unable to flush them, they finally pierced the saran wrap over the rim, going 5-7 from deep in the heart of the period.
Saraf even got in on the action, redeeming his prior defensive miscues and hitting the first two threes of his career. Cam Thomas got a “the future is now, old man,” moment too.
Still, Houston led 71-60 at the half, and Brooklyn’s next two quarters of play contradicted their first. The Rockets opened up the third on a 13-2 run. In a blink, the Nets were back in a familiar place: down 20 points.
It didn’t help when Nic Claxton picked up his fourth foul amid that run, only for Day’Ron Sharpe to do the same a few minutes later. Brooklyn’s interior defense already appeared to have the strength of a wet paper towel tonight, as the Rockets went for 66 points in the paint, and that only softened things more.
Even with each Brooklyn center edging close disqualification ahead of schedule, Fernández chose to ride with Sharpe. It was another good call by the young coach. Sharpe put in nine points in six minutes during the third, going 4-4 from the field.
I wish I could say that equated to anything on the scoreboard, but unfortunately, Sharpe’s burst was nothing more than another reach at a silver lining. In fact, Brooklyn went into the fourth down by 26, their largest deficit of the evening.
This time, Brooklyn made no comeback threat. The Nets simply could not stop Houston from filling it up, who nearly notched a 50/40/90 game as a team, posting .576/.500/.885 splits. As the Rocket lead swelled up to as many as 33, the Nets waived their white flag by giving their two-ways their first burn of the season. EJ Liddell contributed six points after shooting 2-3 from the field, including one made triple, and the Nets went quietly into the dark.
Final: Houston Rocket 137, Brooklyn Nets 109
Injury Report
Brooklyn held Egor Dëmin and Ziaire Williams out tonight. Williams fell hard on his back in the second half of Sunday’s game and mentioned postgame that he had issues moving around the court after. Dëmin’s day off seemed a bit more precautionary, as the Nets cited injury management for his left plantar fascia tear on the injury report.
Next Up
The Brooklyn Nets begin a three-game home stand Wednesday evening when they host the new look Atlanta Hawks. The Nets took one out of three vs Trae Young and company last year. Atlanta is out to 1-2 start, beating the Orlando Magic but falling to the Toronto Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder.
