Winners of six of their last seven games, the Rockets swept their three-game homestand with impressive performances that showed their range in being able to beat you in a variety of ways.
A few thoughts:
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the media voters for MVP, it’s that most of them are looking for simple things to push the narrative. They want a simple stat or a simple highlight to make that decision for them — take a look at Russell Westbrook winning last year because of the whole ‘triple-double’ thing when he didn’t even have as good of an individual season nor as strong of team success as a well-known bearded fella here in Houston. And let’s not forget what Kawhi Leonard’s “block” last year against the Rockets did for his campaign.
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Against the Warriors Saturday night, James Harden had that MVP moment that voters look for: his game-clinching shot over Stephen Curry. He’s the frontrunner again and, if he remains healthy, I think he takes it this year.
I can’t stress enough how good Chris Paul has been. Aside from the playmaking, the mid-range game, the defense… the dude shot 54.2% from beyond the arc on over 8 attempts per in the last three games, including several triples that keyed comebacks. It has to be brutal for opponents knowing that, not only do they have to deal with Harden and Paul together, but they’ll always have to deal with at least one of them at all times.
Speaking of Paul, he’s been very tight-lipped and emotionless with the media since the Clippers incident, though he has softened with each game. Can you really blame the guy? The media jumped the gun on that Los Angeles locker room story — even the always-reliable Adrian Wojnarowski, who clearly got info from the Clippers, butchered the details, and there were few, if any, retractions. There are still fans who believe Paul led an attack on the Clippers locker room through a secret passageway and Clint Capela was a decoy at the door. Several Rockets players, mostly Paul, took an unfair hit to their reputations. He has a right to be untrusting of the media right now.
Defense! Now that everybody is back, folks… it’s happening again. The Rockets were 6th in the league in defensive rating through the first 26 games before Luc Mbah a Moute got hurt, holding opponents to 102.1 points per game. Sprinkle in a few more injuries and things went south quick, with opponents dropping 109.9 points per 100 possessions against the Rockets in the next 16 games. But in this three-game homestand that included a matchup against the league’s top offense, the Rockets came in with a 101.4 defensive rating. That’s a small sample size, but it’s progress.
I’ve been hammering Ryan Anderson but I honestly don’t think I’ve been harsh enough. He has gone from misfiring to simply not firing at all, passing up open threes fairly often. Think about it — in the last three games, PJ Tucker has taken more threes than Anderson. Tucker! Anderson is a shooter, a guy who used to average 17+ a night, who appears to have lost his confidence and has become a $20 million John Doe rebounder. When he’s open for three but a player is closing on him, even from 10 feet out, Anderson balks. Make or miss, we need Anderson to take those shots. When the Rockets were truly thriving in that 25-4 start, Anderson was a 40% three-point shooter, taking 6-7 threes a night. He’s shooting 29.9% on 4.8 attempts in more minutes since then. The silver lining is there was a moment in the second quarter last night where Anderson didn’t hesitate, launching quick-release threes with Hassan Whiteside in his face.
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Eric Gordon was ballin’ against Minnesota, carrying the Rocket offense on a night when Harden was shaking off the rust in his return from a hamstring injury. But in the two games since, Gordon has struggled, going 0-for-16 from three-point range. What you love about Gordon, unlike Anderson, is that he does not hesitate whatsoever. Give him the smallest of openings and he’ll get that shot off in a flash. But truth be told, he’s off this year from deep (33% on nearly 10 threes a game) — and he knows it. Long after the media was gone last night, Gordon exited the locker room to head home. I was talking with a friend in the hallway at the time and Gordon saw that we had the box score sheet. He stopped and asked to take a look at it. He gave it a long stare and shook his head. He knows his shot is AWOL right now. I have a feeling he’s going to come up big Wednesday in Dallas.
So now we know that Gerald Green is the odd man out of the rotation — he didn’t play a single minute in last night’s win. It’s very tough to bench a guy who is hitting 41.% from three on high volume, but what can you do? Mbah a Moute and Trevor Ariza gobble up the wing minutes and Tucker plays a key role. Gordon, while struggling, is way too important to bench for Green. Anderson is interesting but he plays the four and gets rebounds. If the Rockets go small more, yeah, then they can get Green minutes, but it’s a tough situation. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta came into the locker room after the game, congratulated the team, said hello to Harden and then went right to Green as they gave each other a hug and talked for awhile. I don’t know if being out of the rotation was a topic of conversation, but I found it interesting that it was Green that Fertitta spent time with.
Armed with a bizarre fascination for Mario Elie and a deep love of the Houston Rockets, Dave Hardisty started ClutchFans in 1996 under the pen name “Clutch”.
The Rockets began January with a 3-5 record in their first eight games, and that included a winless road trip in Portland (twice) and Sacramento.
But after finishing with seven wins in nine games, Houston (30-17) enters February at No. 4 in the Western Conference standings.
Late Saturday, ClutchFans Editor Dave Hardisty teamed up with Ben DuBose (USA TODAY’s Rockets Wire) to recap the ABC primetime showdown. That video is available to watch here, as are postgame notes issued by the team.
Topics on the show include recent improvements from both Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr., with the latter on a clearly upward trajectory in late January.
— With the win, the Rockets split the season series versus the Mavs, 2-2. Houston closed out January by winning seven of its final nine games, while Dallas has lost a season-high tying four straight. The Mavericks had previously won a season-high four in a row.
— Houston held Dallas to 107 points and improved to 21-1 when allowing fewer than 110 points this season. The Rockets held opponents to 106.4 points per game in 17 January games, down from 112.0 points in the first 30 games of the season.
— The Rockets won despite shooting 41.7% from the floor. Houston has won three of its past four games while shooting below 45.0%, all after having just three previous wins (in 2025-26) when doing so. The Rockets had 108 shot attempts, tying for their second-highest total in a non-overtime game going back to 1986-87.
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— Houston had a season-high tying 33 assists with a season-low 6 turnovers. The Rockets are averaging 27.3 assists over the past seven games after averaging 20.8 the eight games prior. Houston has recorded 12 or fewer turnovers in consecutive games for the second time this season (Nov. 12-Nov. 14).
— Six Rockets scored in double-figures, including all five starters. The last time Houston’s entire starting lineup scored 10+ points was in Brooklyn on Jan. 1.
— Amen Thompson had 21 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals. He has scored 20+ points in two of the past three games and 20 times overall this season, all after doing so 18 times in his first two seasons, combined. For the month of January, Thompson averaged 18.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.71 steals per game. [Video Highlights]
— Tari Eason had 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 3-of-5 from 3-point range. He has scored 15+ points in five of his 10 games played this month after doing so five times his first 16 games played this season (the Rockets went 7-3 in those games). Eason has recorded 2+ steals in each of his past four games played, marking his longest streak since a five-game span in November 2024. [Video Highlights]
— Josh Okogie had 13 points, 5 rebounds, a steal, and a block off the bench while shooting 3-of-6 from 3-point range. He has scored in double-figures in each of the past two games after not scoring 10+ in any of the 21 previous games. From 3-point range, Okogie has hit 10 treys on 47.6% shooting over the past seven games, and he is shooting a career-high 39.3% this season. [Video Highlights]
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— Cooper Flagg had a game-high 34 points along with a career-high 12 rebounds and 5 assists. He scored a career-high 49 points in the Mavs’ last game versus Charlotte on Jan. 29. Dating back to 1996-97, Flagg’s 83 points is the third-highest two-game total by a rookie. He is the fourth different Dallas rookie to have scored 30+ points in consecutive games (Mark Aguirre, Luka Dončić, Jay Vincent).
Houston resumes play Monday at Indiana (13-36), and our ClutchFans Live postgame show will react to both that night’s action and the in-season trade deadline of Thursday, February 5. Chron.com’s Michael Shapiro will be our featured guest, so tune in!
Second-year guard Reed Sheppard scored 12 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Rockets rallied to an important 111-106 victory over the Spurs.
Tuesday’s win moved Houston up to No. 4 in the Western Conference standings, and they only trail second-seeded San Antonio (30-14) by a game in the loss column.
Houston (26-15) finished up its five-game homestand at 4-1, and the Rockets are now 15-3 at Toyota Center this season.
Via Rockets PR, here is a statistical roundup of postgame notes:
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— With the win, the Rockets even the season series versus the Spurs, 1-1, with two games remaining. They have won six in a row at home against San Antonio. Houston finishes the halfway point of the 2025-26 season with a 26-15 mark, while San Antonio has its three-game winning streak snapped.
— Houston held San Antonio to 36 second-half points on 30.2% shooting (3-26 on 3-pointers) , all after the Spurs had 70 first-half points on 48.1% shooting (11-24 on 3-pointers). The Rockets won despite trailing by as many as 16 points, which is their largest comeback of the season.
— The Rockets outshot the Spurs, 51.8% to 39.0%. Dating back to 1975-76, Houston is 133-1 when shooting 50.0% or better while holding its opponent below 40.0% shooting, with the only loss coming at Detroit on Feb. 27, 1990. The Rockets have shot 50.0% or better in three of the past five games and 19 times overall this season, which is already tied for their highest season total since doing so 21 times in 2016-17.
— Houston won despite being outrebounded 45-43. The Rockets have won the past two games they have been outrebounded in after losing the previous four times this season.
— The Rockets had nine blocks. Houston has recorded 7+ blocks in 14 of its past 25 games after doing so three times in the first 16 games of the season. The Rockets have blocked 7+ shots 17 times this season, which is already their highest season total since doing so 20 times in 2019-20.
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— Alperen Sengun had 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists. He has grabbed 13+ boards in three of the past four games after doing so three times prior this season. Sengun has also scored 20+ points in four of the past five games after doing so only twice over his previous seven games played.
— Reed Sheppard scored 12 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter. He has scored 20+ points twice over the past seven games and six times overall this season after doing so twice as a rookie in 2024-25. With four 3-pointers, Sheppard has made 11 3-pointers (47.8% shooting) over his past three games.
— Amen Thompson had 16 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks. It is his ninth double-double of the season and his fourth over the past 10 games. Thompson has scored 15+ points in 28 of the 41 games this season — including 10 of the past 12 games — after doing so 33 times in 69 games played in 2024-25.
— Julian Champagnie had a game-high 27 points while shooting 8-of-16 from 3-point range (50.0%), but he was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. That is the third-highest point total of his career. Champagnie had a career-high 36 points while hitting a Spurs-record 11 3-pointers vs. New York on Feb. 31, 2025. He has scored 20+ points in four of the past 12 games after doing so three times prior this season.
Next up for the Rockets is a road back-to-back on Thursday and Friday at Philadelphia (23-19) and Detroit (31-10). Tipoff of both games is at 6:00 p.m. Central, and as usual, we’ll have live postgame recap videos on the ClutchFans YouTube channel.
HOUSTON — With 10 fourth-quarter points, Jabari Smith Jr. broke out of his recent slump as the Rockets defeated the Bulls at Toyota Center, 119-113 (recap).
After each home game, the Rockets send out “postgame notes” to credentialed media members featuring statistical odds and ends.
Here’s a rundown from Tuesday’s matchup versus Chicago.
— With the win, the Rockets have won four straight against the Bulls. Houston snaps its season-high three-game losing streak, while Chicago has lost four of its past five after winning seven of its previous nine.
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— Tuesday was the first of five straight home games over an eight-day span for Houston. The Rockets are 12-2 at Toyota Center this season, including seven wins in a row, tying their longest streak from last season (Nov. 4-Nov. 24, 2024).
— The Rockets outshot the Bulls, 51.1% to 43.6%. Houston shot below 45.0% in a season-high five straight games prior. … The Rockets have shot 50.0% or better 17 times this season after doing so 15 times in 2024-25. Since allowing opponents to shoot 50.0% or better in four straight games from Dec. 6-Dec. 18, Houston has held the opposition to 46.2% shooting over its past 13 games.
— Houston won despite shooting 7-of-24 (29.2%) from 3-point range. Since the start of last season, the Rockets are 16-8 when having fewer than 10 made 3-pointers after going 15-71 during the previous 8 seasons (2016-17 through 2023-24).
— The Rockets only had nine turnovers, including one in the second half. Houston is averaging 12.6 turnovers over its past seven games after averaging 17.9 the 12 games prior. The Rockets are 5-1 when having 12 or fewer turnovers this season.
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— Kevin Durant had team-highs of 28 points and 10 rebounds. It is his third point/rebound double-double over the past five games after he had one prior as a Rocket. Durant has 5 double-doubles overall this season (one point/assist), matching his total with Phoenix in 2024-25. [Video Highlights]
— Alperen Sengun had 23 points, a game-high 11 assists, and 7 rebounds. It is his first time leading the team in assists since Dec. 23. Sengun has recorded 10+ assists three times this season after doing so four times in 2024-25. He is averaging a career-high 6.6 assists per game so far this season. [Video Highlights]
— Amen Thompson had 23 points while shooting 10-of-10 from the foul line. He has scored 20+ points in seven of the past eight games, including a career-high four straight, and 17 times overall this season (14 times in 2024-25). Tuesday marked Thompson’s most free-throw attempts without a miss in a game, and for the 2025-26 season, it was his sixth time to shoot at least six free throws without a miss. Prior to this season, he had done so just three times in his first two NBA seasons. [Video Highlights]
— Bulls guard Tre Jones had a career-high 34 points on 11-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range. He had scored 30+ points once prior in his career, with 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting for San Antonio against Chicago on Jan. 13, 2024. The last Bulls player to score 30+ points while shooting 90.0% or better was Scottie Pippen, who had 43 points on 16-of-17 shooting vs. Charlotte on Feb. 23, 1991.
The Rockets (23-14) will resume play Thursday with a nationally televised showdown on Prime Video versus the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder (34-7).
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Tipoff from Toyota Center is at 6:30 p.m. Central, and the Rockets will have happy-hour pricing to encourage on-time attendance.
The Rockets are now 11-1 in their last 12 games at Toyota Center, and their most recent win was easily the most memorable.
With 1.1 seconds left on Monday night, Kevin Durant buried a 3-pointer from the right wing to defeat his former Phoenix team. That iconic shot from a perennial All-Star and future Hall of Famer provided the decisive margin in Houston’s 100-97 victory (recap).
With the win, the Rockets improved to 22-11 and are now in a virtual tie for the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference standings. The Suns (21-15) remain at No. 7.
For Durant, the shot was therapeutic, considering his history with the Suns prior to being traded to Houston last June.
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But the game-winner also seemed to be therapeutic for the packed house at Toyota Center, where fans watched their team withstand a late 10-0 run before being rescued by a pair of clutch 3-point plays from Durant and Amen Thompson.
Here’s a look at the Space City Home Network broadcast call from Craig Ackerman and Ryan Hollins, followed by fan videos from the seats. Moments after the final buzzer, M-V-P (Most Valuable Player) chants rang out for the first time since the late-2010s James Harden era.
All three were commanding victories, starting with a road victory on Christmas over the Los Angeles Lakers, and they all came with Finney-Smith as a new addition to the rotation. Though he signed with the Rockets in July, Finney-Smith sat out the first 27 games of the 2025-26 regular season due to offseason ankle surgery.
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In 45 minutes over those three games, the Rockets have a +21.0 net rating differential with Finney-Smith on the floor. By defensive rating, they are 14.3 points better when he plays.
Offensively, the versatile 6-foot-7 forward is making 42.9% of his 3-pointers, and that’s coming off a 2024-25 campaign in which he shot a career-best 41.1% from distance (with the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets).
“He’s an underrated feel-for-the-game guy,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlise said prior to Houston’s victory over Indiana on Monday night. “He’s a quiet connector for a team. He’s about all the right stuff. He’s a winner.”
Carlisle previously coached Finney-Smith for multiple seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.
“It feels amazing,” Finney-Smith said of his health and how he’s currently feeling. “Just happy to be out there. Once I’m on the court, I don’t feel anything. Winning is the most important thing, and I’m just grateful to be out there.”
Ime Udoka, head coach of the Rockets, pointed to “more versatility” as one of the primary benefits of Finney-Smith’s return.
“He is a seasoned veteran, high IQ, and communicator,” Udoka said (via Brian Barefield, Rockets Wire) “Something we have lacked at times is our communication. I think his awareness of every situation is really high. He has been around and done all those roles.”
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For the time being, Finney-Smith is limited to approximately 15 minutes per game. Prior to his three appearances in recent days, he hadn’t played in an NBA game since last April, so the Rockets will be understandably cautious as they ramp up his activity.
But that minutes limitation is expected to gradually increase over the weeks ahead, and the Rockets are hopeful that Finney-Smith will be a major contributor by the time the 2026 Western Conference playoffs begin in April. Ideally, he can replace much of what the Rockets lost when they sent Dillon Brooks to the Phoenix Suns in the Kevin Durant trade.
“Whether it is off the bench or starting, he gives us a little more depth at the wing, and he can guard up or guard down,” Udoka says of Finney-Smith. The 32-year-old is widely known around the league for his “3-and-D” skill set on the wing, when healthy.
With an improving defense, Houston (20-10) enters calendar-year 2026 with three consecutive victories and a spot at No. 4 in the Western Conference standings. Next up is a New Year’s Day clash at Brooklyn, where Finney-Smith played for portions of the past three seasons.
