In the “money time”, the rockets tormented “Wemby” and the Spurs

Sometimes they struggle to finish their matches this season, Rockets they have this time insured in “money time”. The men from Ime Udoka won the Texas derby against the Spurs (111-106), who had won three in a row. The victory – the third in a row for Houston – marked by great outingsAlperen Sengun (20 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists) i Reed Sheppard (21 points).

And above all, the great clumsiness shown by their opponents (39%), as a Victor Vembanyama who had a lot of trouble expressing himself in the second half (14 points on 5/21 overall, including 0/7 from long range). This discomfort was not evident in the first three quarters of the game in which the visitors dominated for a long time.

The latter, fueled by 3-point success Julian Champagne (27 points with 8/16 from distance), they took more than 10 points ahead after a very offensive first twelve minutes (28-39). This gap remained until the break (60-70), but also for a good part of the third quarter. The end of it was a trigger for the locals, spurred on by their substitutes Clint Capell and Reid Sheppard in particular.

Big offensive breakdown of the Spurs

The latter, with Kevin Durant, was a key player in Houston’s 13-0 run to return to San Antonio. At the same time, the Spurs’ offense faltered, with several possessions ending in long-range and dangerous shots by Keldon Johnson. For five minutes, the guests did not score a goal, but they found some air thanks to Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox.

In the last two minutes alone, Jabari Smith Jr. signed an important shot from the middle, to which ” Wemby » he could not answer. Then Sengun pressed Luke Cornett – sent to the floor to answer the opposite size – in the post to give Houston a two-possession lead (108-104). Spurs’ answer? A shot beyond the far too short arc by Wembanyama, followed by a miss from the less inspired Stephon Castle (13pts at 5/19) from the same distance.

The Rockets, who limited opponents to 14 points in the final quarter, got the job done at the free throw line.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

Victor Vembanjama with a muzzle. His only basket in the second half came only in the last moments of the tap, when the match was already played. The ball lost from the baseline in front of the doubleheader, “fadeaway” was contested too well by Kevin Durant, the other one ricocheting off the circle as he was moving away from him… “Wemby” could not express himself as usual in the last quarter. A good idea might have been to serve it more often in the low post and not at the free throw line.

X Factor Reed Shepard. After a touchdown pass to Kevin Durant, his 4th quarter began with an airball on a shot that was too far. In a sign of his energy and confidence, the playmaker converted the game-winning basket seconds later in the corner, then cut in a ball that Dorian Finney-Smith finally converted on the counterattack. The turnover was the driving force behind the Rockets’ 13-0 run in the 3rd and 4th quarters. But he didn’t stop there. With five minutes left, he converted another key 3-point shot. The first, then the second off the dribble to give his team the lead, before finishing his sequence with a layup, or eight points in a row. Leader, who even allowed himself to match Julian Champagne behind the arc, scored 12 of his 21 points in the final quarter. Almost as much as the entire opposing team!

Ignition delay. The start of the match was delayed by 22 minutes because one player – visible castle Stephon – bent the hoop before the start of the game, which required his replacement. The maintenance team intervened to place a spirit level on the roll before work began. The three on the ladder worked on the basket for several minutes while the Spurs left the court for a moment to return to the locker room. Which didn’t stop the hoop from being “capricious” again in the 4th quarter…

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = point difference when the player is on the court; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.