Rockets vs. Bucks Takeaways: Defense, Jalen Green's Fourth Quarter, Playing With Heavy Hearts
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets (8-18) began their seven-game homestand with a 97-92 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks (19-7) Sunday night. Here are three takeaways from the Rockets' impressive victory inside the Toyota Center.
Defending Giannis Antetokounmpo:
Giannis Antetokounmpo came into the Toyota Center averaging a career-best 31.9 points on 54.6 percent shooting from the field. He recorded a season-best 44 points against the Rockets on Oct. 22 and scored 40 or more points on two other occasions.
Jabari Smith Jr. knew defending Antetokounmpo wasn't easy. But Smith believed he was more equipped to help the Rockets slow down Antetokounmpo during their second meeting.
Although it took a team effort, Smith held Antetokounmpo to 16 points as the primary defender.
"Going into this game, I wasn't focusing on offense — we have a lot of players who can put it in the [basket]," Smith said. "We knew we had an MVP on the other side of the ball, and we had to compete."
From contesting jump shots to playing the passing lanes that led to three steals, Smith had several moments where he made defensive stops on Antetokounmpo.
Smith's best defensive play came early in the third quarter. He rejected Antetokounmpo's layup attempt, which led to Kevin Porter Jr. converting a dunk on the offensive end.
"He was tired and exhausted guarding Giannis," Porter said. "That's a big defensive assignment, especially for a rookie. But we trusted him, and he handled it well."
Jalen Green's fourth quarter eruption:
Smith only accounted for six points on 1-of-9 shooting, but Jalen Green picked up the offensive slack for his teammate. Green scored a game-high 30 points on an efficient 57.1 percent shooting from the field, 3-of-6 from behind the arc.
Green set an early offensive tone with 11 points during the first quarter, but it wasn't until the final period that he took over with his scoring.
"I just know that my team depends on me in situations like that," Green said. "All of the hard work that I put in, day and night, it's starting to pay off."
The Rockets trailed the Bucks 89-83 with 4 minutes and 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Green began the Rockets' late-game push with a triple and converted a dunk on the next possession to bring Houston within a point. With the game tied at 90 with two minutes left, Green scored a contested layup over the top of Brook Lopez to give the Rockets their first lead since the 5:28 mark of the third quarter.
The second-year guard stepped up huge down the stretch for the Rockets. And by the end of the final buzzer, Green had scored 12 fourth-quarter points to lead the Rockets to a comeback victory.
"Jalen came up big time," assistant coach John Lucas II said. "I think Jalen had one of his finest games. He made his free throws, attacked the basket and his defense was impeccable. I work with him every day, and he is really growing."
Playing With Heavy Hearts:
Coach Stephen Silas missed Sunday's contest following the death of his father, Paul Silas, and Lucas filled in for his absence. Before the game, Lucas said players came into the locker room with heavy hearts but wanted to get a win for their coach.
"What Silas has done for me since I've been here, he made me improve tremendously on and off the court," Porter said. "I lost my papa, so I definitely know what he is going through. We wanted to get this one bad for him, and we got it."
Paul began his career as a member of the St. Louis Hawks in 1964 and became a three-time NBA champion and two-time All-Star in 16 seasons played.
Paul began his coaching career in 1980 with the then-San Diego Clippers. He later became the coach of the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Bobcats, with Stephen working alongside his father as an assistant.
Best performance:
Although Green scored a dozen fourth-quarter points to lift the Rockets to a comeback victory, Smith deserves this honor due to his defensive play on Antetokounmpo.
The rookie prospect from Auburn University became the second player to hold Antetokounmpo to a season-low 16 points on 17 attempts. Cleveland Cavaliers' second-year big man Evan Mobley became the first on Nov. 16.
Worst performance:
Lucas expressed his disappointment in Tari Eason's play during his post-game press conference. He stated that Eason did not bring his usual energy off the bench. For the first time in his young career, Eason finished with one rebound and failed to score a bucket.
Final Words:
"That was for coach [Stephen Silas]. Now, we have to find a way to win more games. This was a great team win." — Lucas
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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