The Rockets take on the Heat
After consecutive losses, the Houston Rockets lost the hope of the play-offs, and Jalen Green was also hidden in the fourth quarter against the Warriors. In this game, the Houston Rockets welcomed the challenge of the Miami Heat at home, the Eastern Conference champion last season, and the seventh place in the East this season.
Seeing the ranking of the Heat, some fans may feel unsatisfactory, but in fact, last season's Heat broke into the Finals with the eighth place in the East, and this season's record has improved. The team got rookie Harkes and traded Rozier, and to be honest, the strength is only stronger than last season.
The Eastern Conference champions are too strong
With Amen Thompson sidelined, Jeff Green came to the starting lineup. At the beginning of the first quarter of the game, Dillon was on fire, scoring 14 points and 2 rebounds on 5-of-7 shooting, and Jeff Green also had 5 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, but Jalen Green didn't shoot and only relied on free throws to score 3 points, the team scored 27 points in a single quarter, the Heat happened to have 27 points, and Butler had 10 points, 1 assist and 1 steal. After returning from the game in the second quarter, Jalen Green scored 8 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist, but only made 2 of 7 shots, while Smith had 8 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, and the team scored another 32 points in a single quarter.
The Heat withstood the pressure, Adebayo had 12 points and 3 rebounds on 4-of-4 shooting, Rozier also had 8 points and 2 steals, and Herro, who had just returned, had 4 points and 3 assists, the team scored 37 points in a single quarter, and at the end of the half, the Heat led the Rockets by 5 points 64-59. In the second half, Butler scored 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, Dunroe had 7 points and 2 rebounds, Jovic had 6 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, and the team scored 29 points in a single quarter. Van Jordan had 6 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist, Jalen Green only had 4 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, and the team only scored 24 points in a single quarter, and the difference between the two teams came to 10 points.
In the final quarter that decided the outcome of the game, Jalen Green got 6 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, but the Heat did not give the Rockets any chance, Butler did not play, but Herro, who had just returned from the bench, got 9 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist on 3-of-6 shooting, and Harkes also had 10 points, 1 rebound and 1 steal on 4-of-6 shooting, and the team finally defeated the Houston Rockets 119-104.
Team Rocket says goodbye
After losing this game, the Rockets suffered a four-game losing streak and said goodbye to the play-offs completely. This season must be a bit regrettable for the Rockets, but how can it be called youth without regrets. The Rockets have shown us how strong they are, and we believe that in time, they will be able to return to the playoff stage and challenge for the championship trophy. In this game, the Rockets scored 7 double-doubles, Jalen Green scored 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists on 6-of-18 shooting, Smith had 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists, and Dillon had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
The Heat showed what it takes to be champions in the East, and as the playoffs approached, the dark horse was once again showing its fangs. Butler finished with 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists and played just three quarters. Adebayo had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, Rozier had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, Dunroe had 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and Herro on the bench also had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists on 7-of-14 shooting. Rookie Hakes, who had 12 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist on 5-of-7 shooting, played only 19 minutes in this game.