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The Houston Rockets Preseason By The Numbers
The Houston Rockets concluded their preseason schedule Thursday night at the Toyota Center against the San Antonio Spurs. The Rockets started slowly, as the shorthanded Spurs managed to keep the game close in the first quarter.
The Spurs rested most of their starters, including Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul. After the first quarter, the Rockets took control of the game, using it as a preparation for Wednesday's regular-season opener:
The Rockets finished 3-1 in the preseason, winning their last three and final two games by 20+ points each. Even though it is the preseason, and you can't always take a lot from games because most teams aren't playing their regular rotation, it is still good to look at how the Rockets' stats stack up against the rest of the league.
Let's examine how the Rockets finished in several major categories. Remember that some games are left to be played, but this is where the Rockets finished in the preseason.
Points Per GameThe Rockets scored at least 113 points in its four preseason games. They finished averaging 120.5 points per game, ranking fourth in points per game. Again, it is just the preseason, but it is good that the Rockets offense is clicking on all cylinders going into the games that count.
Points Allowed Per GameThe Rockets allowed an average of 110 points per game, placing them in the middle of the pack and ranking them 16th overall. While this number is considerably higher than Ime Udoka typically would allow, their net rating of 9.6 per game still positions them in the top three.
3-Point ShootingAnother category in which the Rockets finished toward the middle of the pack was 3-point shooting. The Rockets shot 32.9 percent from deep over four preseason games. Of course, that number will need to improve if the Rockets want any chance at making the playoffs.
The Rockets are hoping Reed Sheppard's addition and Tari Eason's return will help them improve their bottom-ten 3-point shooting from a season ago. The addition of one of the best pick setters in the league, Steven Adams, should also help, especially with the second unit.
Offensive RatingWhen you score 120 points a game, that usually means your offense is doing well and your offensive rating is high. That was the case for the Rockets, who finished with a 112.9 offensive rating, number four in the league.
Defensive RatingThe Rockets had one of the best defenses in the NBA last season and are expected to be in the top ten again this season. During the preseason, the Rockets were again in the top ten in defensive rating, finishing ninth with a defensive rating of 103.3.
ConclusionAs mentioned earlier, judging a team's overall performance by preseason numbers is difficult. Teams usually rest their leading players; even when they play, it is for limited minutes. However, it still helps to see which teams are building chemistry early and are headed in the right direction to start the regular season.
The Rockets kick off their 2024-25 regular season Wednesday as they host the Charlotte Hornets.
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Rockets Players Reportedly Tried To Confront A Mavericks Player After The Game For A Disrespectful About A Player's Wife And Family
Scott Halleran/Getty
A physical game between the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets carried over afterward when several Rockets players reportedly waited outside of the Mavericks locker room to confront center Salah Mejri.According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, during the game, Mejri said something about Rockets forward Trevor Ariza's wife and family, setting Ariza off.
At one point, Ariza was restrained by Rockets staff and security as he yelled toward the Mavericks bench. He received a second technical and was ejected.
According to ESPN's Calvin Watkins, after the game, Ariza walked to the Mavericks locker room and waited for Mejri. He was reportedly accompanied by two security guards while James Harden and Rockets guards Eric Gordon and Patrick Beverley joined him. According to Watkins, police monitored the situation, and Ariza eventually left without incident as Mavs players came out and tried to calm him down.
Mejri denied the comments, telling ESPN, "[Ariza] was swearing and bulls---. Ask him. He's out there. Ask him."
Beverley also reportedly shouted to Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, "Don't be mad at us, Coach. Way to be an icon, Coach. Have a nice season, Coach."
The game was marred by several hard fouls. Mavs center Andrew Bogut was first called for a flagrant foul for leaning into Harden on a hard screen.
Later, Rockets forward Ryan Anderson took a hard foul from Mavs forward Dwight Powell.
Harden was angry after the game, saying, "I don't know what they were on tonight. That other team was tripping tonight. They were disrespectful, were unprofessional players and coaches. I don't know what was their problem, but I think that got us going. They wanted to throw a little cheap shot and just woke us up a little bit, and it was over from there."
Luckily, the two teams' season series is already finished, so there likely won't be any carry-over into future games.
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