Rockets End Preseason On High Note With 22-Point Win Over Spurs

The Houston Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs at home in their last preseason game. This gives them a lot of momentum going into the regular season.

Oct 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) as Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) sets a pick against San Antonio Spurs guard Malaki Branham (22) in the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets played their last preseason game tonight against the San Antonio Spurs, winning 107-129. The starting lineup remained the same as last game, with this season's starting five leading the way tonight. San Antonio was without its star, Victor Wembanyama, and veteran guard, Chris Paul.

"This is a true dress rehearsal," Dillon Brooks told Vanessa Richardson pregame.

The first substitutions brought in Thompson and Reed Sheppard to play alongside Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. This did not last too long, due to Coach Ime Udoka wanting to see the bench rotation in the game. Sheppard, VanVleet, Thompson, Tari Eason, and Steven Adams were taking charge late in the first quarter.

It was noticeable that coach Udoka wanted Thompson and Eason to be on the court together. As long as one of them was in the game, the other one was also in as well. The duo of Thompson and Eason showed why they have the potential to be some of the best defenders in the league. They were overwhelming the Spurs' offense, causing a steal almost immediately as they got on the court together. The two of them also forced two fast breaks in a row, leading to an Eason dunk and a three from Green. This duo can run any team off the floor due to their speed, pace, and athleticism.

There has been speculation about Sengun's ability to stay up to speed on the floor with the faster players such as Green, Thompson, Whitmore, and Eason. The center did a great job keeping up to pace, and looks a lot more agile than previous years.

Houston introduced two plays in the first quarter to get Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks open for three. The first one consisted of Smith Jr. cutting into the post from the right wing and then running to the top of the key to get an open three. It distracted defenders, resulting in players in the corners being open for a shot. Due to Houston having shooters and players who can get to the rim with ease, this play is perfect for the team as it gives them multiple ways to score.

The play ran for Brooks had Sengun set off-ball screens for Jalen Green and Smith Jr. Sengun then ran to the post, while Brooks cut to the top of the three-point line. It allowed for Sengun to get an easy layup, or for Brooks to get an open three.

At the start of the second quarter, Udoka rolled out Sheppard, Whitmore, Brooks, Smith Jr., and Sengun, putting an emphasis on drawing up plays to get Smith Jr. easy looks. The successful play, that really threw the Spurs' defense off had Sengun set a screen for Sheppard at the top of the key, rolling, Sheppard threading the needle on a pass between two defenders to Sengun, and then Smith Jr. cutting to the hoop from the left corner. San Antonio looked lost, as no one was around the third-year forward.

Udoka had the team run quite a few plays for Smith Jr and Sengun. Houston used the same duo scheme between Smith Jr. and Sengun as they did with Thompson and Eason. Whenever Smith Jr. was on the floor, so was Sengun.

The starters played most of the fourth quarter, except VanVleet, as Sheppard played in his spot. Udoka gave bench players most of their minutes between the first and third quarters. The minutes could potentially be balanced this way, so the starters play more minutes in the fourth.

Dominating on the glass this evening, every player played relentlessly. Sheppard, being 6-foot-3, is a perfect example. He might have not scored much, but he was doing the dirty work on defense and by crashing the boards. Tari Eason, as well, was looking for every rebound and steal he could get.

Green continued his solid preseason showing, leading the way for Houston on offense. He had his best game of the preseason with 30 points.

The Rockets are known to have one of the deepest teams in the league. The takeaway from this game is that the Rockets could have a new game plan every night due to the number of lineups that they could play successfully, causing their opponents confusion not knowing what to expect.

Houston starts their season next Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets. The game is at 7:00 p.m. CT at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

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