Rockets vs. Heat Takeaways: Too Much Herro, TyTy Washington's Minutes, Usman Garuba's Impact
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HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets (9-19) five-game home winning streak ended during a 111-108 loss to the Miami Heat (15-15) Thursday night. Here are three takeaways from the Rockets' three-point loss inside the Toyota Center.
Too much Herro:
Tyler Herro kept the short-handed Heat afloat with his shooting. He began the game by connecting on four of his first six attempts from the outside for 17 points. He finished the night shooting 10-of-15 behind the arc for a career-high 41 points.
Despite what the box score shows, the Rockets played solid defense on Herro for most of the game. They threw several different defenders at him and prevented his dribble penetration on several occasions.
But Herro was able to have a career night due to the screenplays the Heat ran in his favor.
Coach Stephen Silas said there isn't too many defensive adjustments a team can make when their opponent is setting screens for their sharp-shooting guard.
"He was the Sixth Man of the Year last year," Kevin Porter Jr. said. "He has shown his talents since coming into the league. We knew if he had made a couple of 3's, he could have a night. And he had a night."
TyTy Washington Jr.'s Minutes:
Rookie guard TyTy Washington Jr. played his first meaningful minutes in the NBA. He played 12 minutes and recorded five assists, two points and zero turnovers. When he was on the court, the second unit kept the ball moving, which helped the offense from becoming stagnant.
It was only a matter of time before Washington received noteworthy minutes since coming from the G League. But it was surprising to see who the rookie Kentucky guard replaced in the rotation.
Washington entered the game at the 2:06 mark of the first quarter. He checked in around the time Silas normally calls upon Daishen Nix — who recorded his second DNP (coach's decision) of the season.
Silas said Nix wasn't feeling well, which led to his decision to play Washington. But Nix's role as the Rockets' backup point guard could be in danger, given how poised Washington played the position.
"He did a good job," Silas said. "He ran the show and made plays for his teammates. With five assists and no turnovers, that's pretty good. For his first game, he looked uncomfortable early on. But once he settled in, he did a good job."
Usman Garuba Defensive Impact:
The Rockets had a mediocre performance on the defensive end until the fourth quarter. They held Miami scoreless for a five-minute stretch, and Usman Garuba helped change the Rockets' defensive play.
Silas was pleased by Garuba's efforts. His play led to Silas trusting the second-year defensive forward to close the game over Alperen Sengun and Bruno Fernando. He provided a spark off the bench with his energy and hustle with nine rebounds — five came on the offensive end.
"He did a great job," Silas said. "A lot of what he can do does not show up on the box score. The thing that usually shows is his offensive rebounding, which he did a great job of. To have our three centers, which is different, you never know who it's going to be."
Best performance:
Jalen Green scored a team-high 22 points, but this honor will go to Jabari Smith Jr. He began the night as questionable due to an illness but finished the night with his fifth career double-double. Smith registered 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and 11 rebounds.
Worst performance:
Although he only played a little under five minutes, Bruno Fernando did not have his usual impact. Silas was frustrated with the lack of hustle and energy the Rockets played with for most of the game, but a part of their subpar play was the result of Fernando.
Final Words:
"The way the first half went with 50-50 balls, offensive rebounds and the hustle plays that we were not making — that is not us. I told them at halftime that we have to play our game. And that was not." — Silas
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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