Houston Rockets: Key Takeaways From Second Win Over Cavaliers

The Houston Rockets have now beaten the Cleveland Cavaliers twice in a row, giving them just their third loss at home this season. Amen Thompson has proven himself worthy of starting, Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green can coexist, and the Rockets are prepared to go to war with any team in the league.

Houston's second year guard-forward hybrid has started 14 games this season. In those games, Thompson is averaging 17.3 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and almost two blocks, all while shooting 56.5% from the field. Last night, Overtime Elite's former guard collected his second career triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists on 61.5% shooting overall. The Rockets are 11-3 this season when Thompson starts, and its likely time that he gets a starting spot on the roster. However, Fred VanVleet isn't likely to go to the bench this season. Jabari Smith Jr. is out, but it is unlikely that he goes to the bench when he returns. Thompson might have to wait until next season to start, but he has absolutely shown signs of being a future star in the league and should be an NBA All-Defensive team player.

Secondly, Sengun and Green have proven to be able to coexist in big games like these. There has been a lot of talk about how one should be traded and that they cannot player together. Both players had 26 points last night, and they were very balanced. In order for Houston to win these big games, both players have to do well. It throws defenses off when both guard and center are doing well, because the Rockets can then run through any of the two guys, or VanVleet. In the second half last night, the Cavaliers defense locked up Green after his good first half, so Houston gave the ball to Sengun and he scored a quick nine points to start the second quarter. Being able to play through both young stars is going to be the one of the reasons Houston continues to win big games this season.

And finally, the Rockets are legit. They have now beaten both of the best teams in the league this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cavaliers. Beating the Cavaliers in back-to-back games is going to be huge for Houston going forward, as they know that they can hand with any team. Vanessa Richardson of Space City Home Network said last night that Houston did a big film session two days ago in order to prepare for Cleveland again. Their film session definitely showed on-court, as Houston was able to cut through and break Cleveland's zone defense like paper. The Rockets scored in the post, the midrange and from three. They were extra aggressive last night, attacking Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen down low. It worked really well for Houston, leading to winning one of their most aggressive games this season. Now that the Rockets know what they can do and are capable of, they might just be one of the teams to fear come postseason time if they keep this up.

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