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0 On Friday night, the Houston Rockets defeated the Charlotte Hornets with a score of 138-104. The Rockets were led by impressive performances from Jalen Green and rookie Cam Whitmore. Green, who has been averaging 17.4 points per game, had a fantastic game, scoring an incredible 36 points, along with nine rebounds and four assists. Meanwhile, Whitmore had a career-high 24 points and 11 rebounds. Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson also made significant contributions, with 14 and 13 points respectively.
The Rockets started off strong, leading by two points at halftime. However, they really dominated in the second half, outscoring the Hornets 83-51. In particular, the Rockets were unstoppable in the third quarter, where they outscored the Hornets 44-25. Charlotte’s star players LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller spent most of that quarter on the bench due to foul trouble.
The Rockets put the game away in the fourth quarter, starting with four consecutive three-pointers, including the first three by Whitmore. The team was 5 of 22 from beyond the arc for the first three quarters, but they made 7 of 8 three-pointers to start the fourth quarter.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka was pleased with his team’s performance, particularly their defensive efforts. He said, “It shows that our identity is when we guard at that level, we are in good shape, and so anytime we can get stops and not have to play in the half court every time at a slower pace, it benefits a lot of guys.”
Hornets coach Steve Clifford was disappointed with his team’s attitude in the third quarter, saying they had the “wrong attitude” and he didn’t like their body language. He cited the absence of injured starters Gordon Hayward and Mark Williams and the recent trade of leading scorer Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat as contributing factors to the team’s struggles.
Despite the loss, Miles Bridges had a good game for the Hornets, scoring 21 points. However, the team fell to 5-15 at home.
The Rockets are looking to build on this win as they prepare to face the Brooklyn Nets in their next game. The team is hoping to keep the momentum going and continue to play tough basketball.
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