It took a controversial last-minute call to seal it, but the Rockets finally ended their 15-game losing streak to the Golden State Warriors and stayed alive in the NBA Cup. It was the biggest game of the young core‘s careers and might have locked up a 2024-25 All-Star spot for one Rocket in particular.
Nobody Beats This Rockets Star 16 Times In A Row
In the end, the Rockets broke the Warriors’ stranglehold by a single point, 91 to 90. As with most close games, refereeing controversy did occur. This time over a call widely recognized as correct. Down two points with four seconds to go, Jalen Green was awarded free throws for a personal foul by Jonathan Kuminga.
First of all, credit to Green for knocking them down. He had another rough night against a Warriors team that’s like sandpaper bedsheets for him. However, his explosive drives and hustle plays still made his impact felt, such that head coach Ime Udoka felt comfortable playing him late. Hopefully, he laid some demons to rest with his clutch free-throw shooting, and the matchup can go a little smoother for him in the future.
The Rockets Still Learning the Dark Arts of “Physicality”
As for the call, it’s understandable that fans want crunch-time moments to have as little intervention from referees as possible, especially when other calls could just as easily have been made instead. Complaints from Warriors coach Steve Kerr are understandable as well, though he essentially acknowledged its correctness himself when he was asked why he didn’t challenge it.
The Last Two Minute Report is likely to concur. To Kerr’s point, though, it’s likely to be littered with various other uncalled violations as well, some benefiting the Warriors, some benefiting the Rockets.
The reality is that the NBA is a league where the team that can get away with the most uncalled fouls usually wins the game. The euphemism is “playing physical.” The mantra is something along the lines of “they can’t call everything.” The Warriors have become experts at this over their championship run, chief enforcer Draymond Green especially.
The Rockets’ young players still have more to learn in these dark arts. Every game like this is an opportunity to do so. They matched the Warriors’ physicality in this one and got lucky when it mattered. That means that soon, they’ll get another chance to learn some more.
Sengun Delivered Under the Bright Lights
While playoff-level physicality is an essential tool, playoff success is usually just as much about star power. As important as Green’s contributions were, it was Houston’s other star who asserted himself all night long.
Alperen Sengun had a game-high 26 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Despite not being around from the beginning of Houston’s losing streak, Sengun seemed to take it personally. In a slug-fest where only one other player on either team breached 20 points (Kuminga tried to do it to the Rockets again), Sengun was a hay-maker.
Nickname aficionado Shaquille O’Neal called Sengun the “Turkish Tim Duncan.” As far as raising expectations is concerned, that’s even worse than all the Nikola Jokic comparisons. Nonetheless, in an early noughties-style (compared to your average game in 2024) defensive exhibition like this one, the moniker seemed appropriate. The whole NBA community saw it too. That means Sengun probably booked his place on the 2024-25 All-Star roster.
Last season, Sengun almost squeaked in as a starter due to international fan votes. The team’s improved record might have been enough to get him over the line on its own, but a high-stakes statement game like he put together in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals is the kind of thing that sticks in voters’ minds. That’s even true when the voters are the coaches, as is the case for reserves.
The NBA Cup Continues
Sengun showing he has what it takes to be a star in big moments is probably the big-picture takeaway from last night. The fact they won the game and will get to progress in the NBA Cup is a pretty big one, too though. It’s a huge blank canvas for the Rockets to make of what they will. Win or lose, this young core can use all the high-stakes gameplay it can get.
THE SEMIFINALS ARE SET
It’s all going down in Las Vegas… the #EmiratesNBACup Knockout Rounds continue with the Semifinals on Saturday on TNT and ABC! pic.twitter.com/eT7LxkYZ5R
— NBA (@NBA) December 12, 2024
Their NBA Cup semi-final opponent will be the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder. In their last matchup, Sengun was one assist shy of a 20-point triple-double despite the best efforts of former Rocket Isaiah Hartenstein. The Rockets still couldn’t have won without the heroics of Fred VanVleet, though. The Rockets will need something like that again, whether that’s from VanVleet, Green, or one of Houston’s many other exceptional young talents.
The Last Word
The Rockets’ season can pretty much already be called a huge success. The nightmarish second-ranked defense and relentless offensive rebounding are the team’s most dependable skills. Sengun’s offensive versatility is slowly working its way onto that list as well. The Rockets star will need other big offensive contributions to help him chew through the exceptional Thunder defense and make the NBA Cup final. Luckily for Houston, with so many ravenous young mouths to feed, they’ll have plenty of volunteers.
The post Nobody Beats This Rockets Star 16 Times In A Row appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.