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If the Houston Rockets wanted to send a message in their first game since James Harden was handed over to the Brooklyn Nets, mission accomplished. Despite being without John Wall, Eric Gordon and newly acquired Victor Oladipo, the Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs, 109-105, on national television Thursday night to start the post-Harden era.
The Rockets were again led by Christian Wood, who has been phenomenal so far having signed with the team this past offseason. He scored 27 points on a 10-for-18 shot, including 5 of 7 on 3-pointers, while lowering 15 rebounds and blocking three shots. Wood’s performance earned him the TNT post-game interview, which led to a fun time.
Hall of Famer and “Inside the NBA” host Shaquille O’Neal began his question by telling Wood he didn’t know his game until Thursday, to which Wood replied, “Oh man, you are a casual, “suggesting that Shaq isn’t following the game as closely as he should.
Wood is right to call Shaq on this one. After moving back and forth between the G League and the NBA to start his career, the 6-10 Wood appeared last season as a member of the Detroit Pistons and has become one of the most sought-after free agents around. before signing with the Rockets on a three-year, $ 41 million contract. He entered Thursday’s game averaging 22.6 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in eight games this season, so it’s certainly not a “Who is he playing for?” situation.
Wood-Shaq beef aside, it must be a galvanizing feeling for the Rockets, who Harden said were “just not good enough” the night before he was traded. You usually see a team that recently fired a coach or traded a superstar come out on fire in the next game, but that energy usually wears off by around the third quarter. Houston kept pace all night, securing next-player performances from Sterling Brown (23 points, seven rebounds) and Jae’Sean Tate (13 points, 10 assists, five rebounds), while seeing solid contributions from rookies. Mason Jones and Kenyon. Martin Jr. It’s a good sign that the Rockets were able to win despite a relatively pedestrian performance from DeMarcus Cousins, who scored nine points on shooting 2 for 8, all of his attempts coming from behind the 3-point line.
Houston has clearly stepped forward in the Harden deal, acquiring four future unprotected first-round picks and four unprotected picks of picks, but what they showed on Thursday suggests they might be able to. to remain relatively competitive with the Harden drama now in the back. -a sight mirror. A core of Wall, Oladipo, Wood and Gordon is a solid foundation, with cousins and versatile role players playing hard every night under coach Stephen Silas.
A new chapter has begun in Houston, and the under-equipped Rockets set an impressive tone with a big win on Thursday.
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