On January 21, 2025, Beijing time, the Rockets faced the Pistons at home, which was their second encounter of the season. The Rockets had previously defeated the Pistons by 2 points on the road, and with a much better record than the Pistons, it was expected that they would continue to win today. However, in this game, the Pistons had a clear advantage and dominated the Rockets throughout, ultimately defeating them by 11 points.
Why did the Rockets, who could defeat the Pistons away from home, suffer a complete loss at home? A key reason is rebounding. In their first encounter, the Rockets grabbed 53 rebounds while the Pistons grabbed 46, giving the Rockets a 7-rebound advantage. However, in today's game, the Rockets only managed to grab 39 rebounds while the Pistons grabbed 52, resulting in a 13-rebound deficit for the Rockets.
One of the elements contributing to the Rockets' victories this season has been rebounding, as they average 5.7 more rebounds per game than their opponents. In their first encounter, the Rockets had a significant rebounding advantage, but today they were completely outmatched by the Pistons. Why did this happen? The reason is that compared to their first encounter, the Pistons had an additional "rebound monster" in their lineup, Duran.
In their first encounter, Duran was absent, and Stewart became the starting center for the Pistons. In that game, he scored 16 points with 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks, performing well. However, Shenjing performed even better, scoring 27 points with 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block, giving the Rockets the victory.
Today, Duran was able to play, and he played for 30 minutes, scoring 16 points with 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks, with a plus-minus value of +16, the highest in the game. On the other hand, Shenjing only scored 11 points with 8 rebounds and 5 assists, falling short of Duran's performance. Duran's presence allowed the Pistons to dominate in rebounding, which was a crucial factor in their victory over the Rockets.
Duran is very strong physically and has excellent athletic ability. Shenjing couldn't hold him back or compete for rebounds against him. Additionally, the Rockets' rebounding beast, Adams, was absent today due to a migraine (he also didn't play in their first encounter), so the Rockets suffered in rebounding. Duran was the key reason why the Pistons were able to defeat the Rockets.