When an opponent consistently catches fire against Houston, he picks up the title of “Rocket Killer” around these parts. There may not be a bigger Rocket Killer ever than Jason Terry.
When an opponent consistently catches fire against Houston, he picks up the title of “Rocket Killer” around these parts.
There may not be a bigger Rocket Killer ever than Jason Terry.
In 35 games against the Rockets since he joined the Mavericks, Terry (career 44.8% FG and 38% 3P) is now hitting 51.2% from the field and 45.4% from distance. Predictably, the Mavericks guard hit several big shots on Saturday in Houston’s 101-99 overtime loss — 11 of his 24 points came in the final two minutes of regulation plus overtime.
“That’s his quarter,” said Dirk Nowitzki. “That’s his repuation. And he takes pride in it.”
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But against Houston, it seems to be almost automatic.
“I feel very comfortable in this building,” said Terry.
Is there any extra motivation for the Dallas guard when facing the Rockets? He admits — the 2005 playoffs are still fresh in his mind.
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”.
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.
In this roundtable conversation, ClutchFans Editor Dave Hardisty joins Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves to preview the NBA’s upcoming transaction window and its potential implications for the 16-7 Houston Rockets.
December 15 is when players who signed contracts in the preceding offseason become trade eligible, so the period from Monday until the in-season deadline of February 5, 2026, is likely to be among the most active on the 2025-26 calendar.
Discussion topics include roster needs and potential trade targets across the board, including the likelihood of bigger-name deals (such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and James Harden) and smaller acquisitions along the lines of Keon Ellis, Chris Paul, and Ayo Dosunmu.
The show also explores Houston’s potential desirability on the buyout market and the team’s long-term timeline for title contention, and specifically why those factors might make this a relatively quiet trade window for the Rockets.
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Editor’s note: Hardisty and DuBose also host regular “ClutchFans Live” postgame recap shows on YouTube, while DuBose and Alves are co-hosts of the Rockets LaunchPod podcast, presented by ClutchFans and with support from SportsTalk 790 — official flagship radio station of the Rockets. Tune in to both shows for more coverage!
