Nuggets vs. Rockets Takeaways: Failing To Switch Defensively
HOUSTON — Here are three takeaways from the Houston Rockets' 133-112 loss to the Denver Nuggets Tuesday night inside the Toyota Center.
The Rockets are terrible at switching on defense:
When the Rockets lost to the Miami Heat on Feb. 10, coach Stephen Silas said not staying home led to Jimmy Butler's game-winning alley-oop. Perhaps, it's time for Silas to emphasize staying home as Houston's primary defensive scheme.
The Nuggets shot 57.6 percent from the field, 43.2 percent from behind the arc against the Rockets. Denver scored with ease due to the Rockets' struggles with switching on defense.
On several occasions, the Nuggets got plenty of uncontested looks when the Rockets lost their defensive assignments due to off-ball screens. Jamal Murray benefited from Houston's struggles with switching. He finished with a game-high 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting, 5-for-10 from behind the arc.
"They move the ball a lot," Jalen Green said. "They move without the ball, relocating. A lot of times, we get stagnant, and we just watch whoever’s got the ball. They never did that. That’s something we can take from them."
On the wrong side of history again:
The Rockets were on the wrong side of history for the second straight game. But the historic performance by two-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic was not as humiliating as Damian Lillard's 71-point performance Sunday night.
Jokic recorded his 24th triple-double of the season with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists without playing in the fourth quarter. Jokic's play against the Rockets made him the sixth player in league history to record at least 100 career triple-doubles.
He joins Russell Westbrook (198), Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138), Jason Kidd (107) and LeBron James (106).
"He’s a good passer and he can control all games," Alperen Sengun said. "I’m trying my best for my teammates as he does. He’s a great teammate and I want to be like that, too. I want to help my teammates and protect their backs at all times."
Jalen Green's solid return from injury:
Jalen Green returned to the lineup after missing two games due to a groin injury. Green struggled during the first 24 minutes but mentioned he found his offensive rhythm in the second half.
He scored 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting during the third quarter. He finished the game tied for a team-best 17 points in 19 minutes.
"It felt good to be back out there," Green said. "I was excited to get back on the court. I've missed about a week or so, and All-Star. I felt good."
Best performance:
The subpar production Silas received from his starting lineup was not pleasing. But he appreciated the effort from his reserves.
Silas credited the bench unit for bringing energy against the Nuggets. And at the helm of changing the momentum for Houston was Tari Eason. The rookie prospect from LSU recorded his sixth career double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Worst performance:
The frontcourt pairing of Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. had their third consecutive underwhelming performance since returning from the All-Star break.
Outside of recording eight assists, Sengun had a rough outing on both ends, with seven points and two rebounds. Smith finished with eight points and six rebounds in the loss. Sengun and Smith recorded a combined minus-69.
The lone bright spot for the Sengun and Smith pairing was the combined four blocks the duo recorded against the Nuggets.
Final words:
"We just struggle with this team — whether it's the Jamal Murray match-up or Nikola Jokic match-up. It's just one of those teams where we haven't had much success all season." — Silas
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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