Houston Rockets' Jae'Sean Tate on In-Season Tournament: 'It's Exciting to Play'
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets are one of the hottest teams in the league. They began the 2023-24 season 0-3. But after defeating the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 1, the Rockets have won four straight games.
They will have a chance to extend their winning streak to five Friday night against the struggling New Orleans Pelicans, marking the Rockets' first In-Season Tournament game.
"It's fairly new," Jae'Sean Tate said. "Just seeing all the colors in the court and all the stuff that's gone into this, it's exciting to be able to play in it."
Rockets guard Jalen Green reacts to his basket while forward Jae'Sean Tate and guard Aaron Holiday look on against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Toyota Center.
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The league split all 30 teams into six groups based on a random draw, with three groupings in each conference. The Rockets and Pelicans are in Group B with the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks.
After the four games in group play, two home and two road, the top team from each group, along with a wild card from the East and West, will advance to knockout play.
Those who advance past the single-elimination knockout round will play the semifinals and finals in Las Vegas. The winner will be crowned on Dec. 9. Players on the winning team will win a considerable amount of prize money.
Fred VanVleet believes the tournament will bring excitement to the league. But when it comes to the Rockets, every game has been important as Houston tries to establish a winning culture.
"I think this is a catch for all of the older teams," VanVleet said. "All of these games matter to us. It is something to strive for. But for us right now, we need to lock in every game because every night matters."
For a chance to win the inaugural NBA Cup, the Rockets have put themselves in a position to get off to a great start. After defeating LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night, the Rockets have held their previous four opponents to 99.8 points while possessing a defensive rating of 102.8 — second-best in the league.
