NBA Regular Season: Green Misses Game-Tying Three-Pointer as Rockets Fall to Kings, Houston Trio Scores 69+25 in Vain
On January 17th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Rockets end their five-game winning streak with a close 127-132 loss to the Kings. The Rockets trailed by one point after the first quarter, the Kings led by nine at halftime, and the Rockets were down by five after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Rockets briefly took the lead before the Kings hit consecutive threes to regain the advantage. Dillon committed an off-ball foul on Fox, Green made a three-pointer, but his attempt to tie the game at the end of the third quarter was unsuccessful.
Team Statistics
Kings: Fox had 19 points and 7 assists, DeRozan scored 31 points with 4 assists, Sabonis contributed 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists, Monk added 28 points and 9 assists, and Murray had 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Rockets: Aminu scored 20 points with 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, Green had 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, Shen Jing contributed 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block, Jeff Green scored 10 points, Ethan had 16 points, and Dillon added 12 points with 6 fouls, while White Magic scored 9 points.
Star of the Game - DeRozan
In the fourth quarter, all the key plays were initiated by DeRozan, who also made several crucial shots in isolation. He finished the game with 31 points and 4 assists.
Anecdotes
On the Rockets' side, VanVleet missed the game due to personal reasons, and Aminu switched to the point guard position, with Jeff Green starting at power forward. Ethan returned with limited playing time.
Ellis stepped on Sabonis' foot, twisting his left ankle and causing him significant pain before being helped off the court.
Game Recap
At the start of the game, Shen Jing missed a shot under the basket, but Uncle Jeff hit a three-pointer and a turnaround jumper. Monk and Fox made consecutive fast-break layups, and Shen Jing finally scored with a hook shot, which Sabonis quickly responded to with a cut to the basket. Green hit a three-pointer from outside and followed with two successful drives, showing great focus on both ends of the court. Despite being in the second game of a back-to-back, the Rockets showed no signs of fatigue. The Kings then hit three consecutive threes, and White Magic broke the scoring drought with a drive to the basket, leaving the Rockets trailing 25-26 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, White Magic hit a three-pointer to take the lead, assisted by Shen Jing's hook shot, but Lyles responded with a three-pointer of his own. Sabonis nearly made a 2+1 play, and Lyles made another three-pointer after faking out Shen Jing, prompting a timeout from Udoka after the Kings went on a 10-0 run in 1 minute and 30 seconds. Shen Jing stabilized the situation with a 2+0 play, but Sabonis cut to the basket for a layup, and Holiday's turnover allowed Sabonis to complete a 2+1 play, forcing Green to be substituted out after his third foul. Sabonis continued to attack the basket with screens, hitting a three-pointer, to which Holiday responded with a three-pointer of his own, leaving the Kings leading 61-52 at halftime.
After halftime, the Rockets started with a 7-0 run to force a Kings timeout, but the Kings responded with an 8-0 run of their own, with Dillon missing shots and making errors. Every time the Kings attacked, they drew fouls, with Monk making one of two free throws. Ethan continued to miss threes, but Monk hit a three-pointer, and DeRozan pulled up over Aminu for a jumper. After Ethan's dunk and a 2+1 play under the basket, Ellis stepped on Sabonis' foot, injuring his ankle and causing a timeout. The King's Sea God made a putback, and Ethan's fast break reduced the deficit to five points, but the Kings responded with a 4-0 run. The Rockets relied on offensive rebounds to score four points, ending the third quarter trailing 85-90.
In the fourth quarter, Aminu scored six points in a row to take the lead and force a Kings timeout. After DeRozan returned and hit a mid-range shot, Sabonis cut to the basket for a layup, and Fox made a layup to give the Kings the lead again, prompting another timeout from Udoka. After the timeout, the Rockets turned the ball over, and DeRozan easily scored against Dillon. Shen Jing drew Sabonis' fifth foul and made both free throws, but Monk hit a crucial three-pointer, and DeRozan made a turnaround jumper.
Aminu made two low-level mistakes, and Murray's three-pointer forced a timeout from the Rockets. Shen Jing blocked Fox and then stole the ball to assist Dillon with a three-pointer, reducing the deficit to one point. After a Kings timeout, Shen Jing stole the ball again, with Ethan drawing a foul to take the lead. Monk made a 2+1 play, and DeRozan followed with another 2+1. Shen Jing drew Sabonis' sixth foul, and Ethan hit a three-pointer. Dillon committed an off-ball foul, resulting in a one-and-one free throw, and Fox made all three free throws. Green attempted a three-pointer, prompting a Kings timeout. Dillon fouled out, and Monk made both free throws, forcing a timeout from the Rockets. Green's attempt to tie the game with a three-pointer was unsuccessful, ending the game.
Starting Lineups
Kings: Fox, Monk, DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Sabonis;
Rockets: Aminu Thompson, Jalen Green, Dillon, Jeff Green, Shen Jing;
Written by Yan Xiaobai