In the game between the Rockets and the Hawks on December 21, Beijing time, the biggest trouble for the Rockets in this game was that they dug a hole in the first quarter, lost by 10 points in the first quarter, and then struggled to chase points. Fortunately, the Rockets can rely on the defensive end to help the team bite the score. However, he chased 4 points but couldn't get close, and lost 127-134.
And throughout the game, Smith and Van Vleet's play was too terrifying, and the two of them went on a rampage together. For Smith in particular, he played very aggressively on the offensive end. Not only did he have three-pointers, he made back-to-back jumpers, he cut down 34+13 data in 8-of-14 on the offensive end, and he was not bad at making killings and aggression on the inside. What's more, his rebounding and defense are fundamentals, and as long as the offensive end is open, he can affect the offense and defense.
Then there's Van Vleet, who is also a key figure. Especially on key shots, VanVleet can score consecutive goals to help the team chase points. VanVleet scored 32+15 on 10-of-20 shooting, and he was the absolute brain of the team. More critically, Van Vleet can't play now. As long as he goes down, the offensive end will be very chaotic, causing him to play the whole game for 44 minutes, and the overall pressure is too much. Even so, he can still stabilize the stubble.
Dillon is also a big focus. The more crucial the game, the more you can play. There may have been some controversial moves on the court, but he scored 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and was still very aggressive on the offensive end. In addition, the defensive end has also completed the task, and he is also dominating the offensive and defensive ends.
Unfortunately, Green's performance was still not enough. He was 7-of-19 from the field, and that kind of shooting percentage was still not good. Even though he had some good play on the defensive end and had few turnovers, he still didn't help the team enough if he couldn't make up for the shot, which has always been a problem for him.
Shin Kyung was also abandoned at the last moment. Especially in the final quarter, he basically didn't reach out, and there seemed to be a huge problem on the defensive end. Even if he gets 14+9+5 data, the disadvantages are too great.
Add to that the bench 12 points, and that kind of scoring won't help the team.