Inside The Rockets

Russell Westbrook Struggles, Danuel House Starts in Loss to Spurs

Russell Westbrook finished Tuesday's preseason loss to the Spurs with 14 points and eight turnovers, shooting 5-13 from the field

Michael Shapiro

Russell Westbrook Struggles, Danuel House Starts in Loss to Spurs
Russell Westbrook Struggles, Danuel House Starts in Loss to Spurs /

The Rockets dropped their lone home game of the preseason on Tuesday in a 128-114 loss at the Toyota Center despite a game-high 40 points from James Harden. Here are three takeaways from Houston's defeat. 

Westbrook Struggles in Toyota Center Debut

We didn't see the best of Russell Westbrook in his first game at the Toyota Center. The 2016-17 MVP finished Wednesday night with just 14 points on 13 shots, and Westbrook made just one a triple in four attempts.

The first quarter was particularly difficult for Westbrook. He picked up three fouls in the first six minutes, and added three turnovers (he finished with eight) in the first quarter. He finished Tuesday's contest with a minus-26 in 29 minutes, the worst mark on the team. 

Westbrook's shot profile was encouraging, though, despite the poor shooting effort. He attempted four triples and six shots in the paint, settling for only one midrange jumper. The lone midrange shot was a made basket out of the post, which (like Chris Paul) should compose a large share of Westbrook's mid-range attempts.

House Earns Start, Gordon Comes Off Bench

Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni noted pregame that Danuel House would start against San Antonio, making his second start of the preseason. D'Antoni's decision on Tuesday is likely to extend toward the regular season. He reiterated his wish on Tuesday to always have two of Eric Gordon, Russell Westbrook and James Harden on the floor, relegating Gordon to the sixth-man role. 

D'Antoni added Gordon's move to the bench should help limit his minutes load in the regular season.

"It allows us to control [Gordon's] minutes a little bit and keep him, Russ and James, two of them, on the floor,” D’Antoni said. “Eric is just as important on the team as anybody. We have to find a spot where we maximize what he does. There is no use playing 37 minutes and there’s dead minutes out there. We have to keep him at 32. The only way to do that is if he doesn’t start."

Houston's head coach noted House's athleticism and speed on the wing is the primary reason he's in the starting lineup. 

“The biggest thing is athleticism,” D’Antoni said. “Danuel can really go in and crash the boards, just get that energy we need right off to start the game.

Dejounte Murray Shines for San Antonio

James Harden led all scorers on Tuesday night, but perhaps the most impressive backcourt performance came from Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray. The Washington product looked plenty healthy on Tuesday after missing the entire 2018-19 season with a knee injury, pouring in 20 points on 8-11 from the field. Murray joined LaMarcus Aldridge as the lone Spur to score 20-plus points in San Antonio's victory. 

Murray logged limited minutes in the second half, but he torched the Rockets early on Tuesday. The third-year guard made four of his first five shots, including a deep triple over Clint Capela to kick off the third quarter.

Murray's offensive growth is encouraging for San Antonio, though he makes his true mark on the defensive end. Murray leaned on his 6'10" wingspan (he stands just 6'5") to cover Harden in the first half, and he largely succeeded. The most impressive possession of the night came on a Harden isolation. 

Harden attempted to barrel past Murray en route to the tin as he unleashed a slew of crossovers upon crossing three-point line. But Murray held firm against the two-time scoring champion. Murray didn't bite on Harden's crossover and subsequent spin move, keeping his feet until Harden rose up for the paint shot. Murray then snagged the rebound and gave Harden a playful shove before taking the ball up court. The possession was a masterclass in defending Harden. 

Murray will draw plenty of difficult assignments in the Western Conference this year as he faces Harden, Steph Curry, Chris Paul and Donovan Mitchell, among others. He could be the Spurs' most valuable player by season's end. 

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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

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