Terrence Williams reads you, but that doesn’t mean you’re right
If you’ve been following our training camp coverage in the forums, you probably know by now that Rockets guard/forward Terrence Williams has been dropping out a few shoutouts to the ClutchFans community.
If you’ve been following our training camp coverage in the forums, you probably know by now that Rockets guard/forward Terrence Williams has been dropping out a few shoutouts to the ClutchFans community.
This started harmlessly with a tweet that, through replies, got back to Williams. He responded. Then he saw the videos, started to reply to the camera and even called ClutchFans the “best fans on earth.” In fact, T-Will had dropped a third shoutout to ClutchFans on media day, but I didn’t post it initially because I thought — geez, people are going to think I set this up like some sort of self-promoting radio/TV intro.
The truth is I hadn’t set it up and hadn’t even talked to T-Will about it, so I didn’t know if he actually read the site or if just some of the videos and replies on our Twitter feed had caught his attention. After all, we have thousands of diehards posting different opinions daily in the forums, and some aren’t so sunny — what if he had read some of that stuff? That probably wouldn’t go over too well (#wordaapp).
I didn’t have to wonder for very long.
Fast forward to yesterday’s Open Practice to the public at the Toyota Center. I had just filmed the entire first half of the scrimmage, which was basically a defenseless parade of alleyoops and uncontested drives. The second half was even less competitive — the players were walking (I mean literally) about 80-90% of the time. It’s understandable since they were gassed from a 2 1/2 hour practice before this spectacle, but I had stopped filming because there wasn’t really much more to get… or so I thought.
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Sitting in the front row under the basket with roughly two minutes left in the game, I had my head down looking at my phone trying to catch up on anything I missed. I hear someone ask me, “What are you doing — tweeting something?” I look to my left. There is Terrence, who is technically still tallying minutes as a scrimmage participant, sitting next to me. It takes me a few seconds to comprehend this. I’m usually somewhat prepared, but dude just appeared out of nowhere like George Burns in an “Oh, God” movie.
T-Will proceeds to talk and I can’t grab my camera fast enough (video below).
“I’ve been reading you guys’ blog, ClutchFans.net,” says Williams. “I read it throughout the day.”
Williams said he started doing it recently, then offered a very unique and candid perspective — one of a player reading fan comments about himself on the internet. He cited a specific example of criticism — a post on our site made early in Saturday’s preseason opener about how he “sucks” and to “get him out of here.”
I knew exactly the thread on our forums he was referring to. A user had reacted prematurely to T-Will’s rough first half against the Spurs only to get clowned by the community for the rest of the game as Williams hit 7 of his last 9 shots in the second half.
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“As you see as the game goes on, the posts start to change,” said Williams. “My whole thing is it’s easy to critique a basketball player going to your 9-to-5 and sitting behind a desk when we know when we put our shoes on, we’re subject to get criticized from those that never played the game, or they played in a School of the Blind League or church league when they were younger.”
T-Will was calm, cool and collected while talking about this. He says he reads it all, but takes it with a grain of salt.
“It’s good for entertainment,” says Williams. “I respect everyone’s opinion, but everyone’s opinion is not true.”
The game was ending and the 6-foot-6 Williams had to get back out on the floor. Rising out of his seat, he left with one parting message.
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”.
Houston didn’t make a move at Thursday’s in-season trade deadline, but the Rockets did get a much-needed victory in Saturday’s 112-106 win at Oklahoma City.
For the Rockets, it’s their first win of 2025-26 against the defending NBA champs. Houston (32-19) remains at No. 4 in the Western Conference standings, while the top-seeded Thunder (40-13) continue to own the league’s best record.
Featuring Ben DuBose, Paulo Alves, and ClutchFans’ Dave Hardisty, Saturday’s postgame show reacts to both the trade deadline and that nationally televised Rockets-Thunder showdown.
Topics include offensive growth by Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr.; an apparent step forward for Alperen Sengun on defense; what general manager Rafael Stone considered at the deadline; and potential buyout options and trade targets over the coming weeks and months.
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.
