Cam Whitmore's 'Aggression' Nearly Led Rockets to Improbable Comeback vs. Nets

Coach Ime Udoka said aggression was the key in Cam Whitmore's fourth-quarter performance that nearly led the Houston Rockets to a comeback victory vs. the Nets.

The Houston Rockets sustained a disappointing defeat Saturday night in a 106-104 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. The Rockets trailed the Nets by 28 points midway through the second quarter but nearly completed an improbable comeback led by Cam Whitmore.

Whitmore came off the bench to lead the Rockets in scoring with 19 points on 6 of 16 shooting and nine rebounds. He scored a dozen during Houston's near comeback victory in the fourth quarter. His play during the final period showcased how the rookie forward has established himself as a reliable player within coach Ime Udoka's rotation. 

"Aggression, he made a few mistakes defensively, but all of our guys did," Udoka said. "In the first half, guys were not prepared to guard certain guys. But Cam was aggressive. Even when guys tried to do it one-on-one at the time, our team got caught up in that a little bit in the second half.

"When driving to the basket and there is a crowd around you, you have to learn how to find guys. He was getting caught up in that as well, which a lot of young guys do. But he was very aggressive — did a great job." 

Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) looks to drive past Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) in the fourth quarter at Barclays Center / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Whitmore spent the first half of his rookie season honing his talents with the Rio Grande Vally Vipers. He appeared in 13 games, proving why he could be the biggest steal of the 2023 NBA Draft, where he fell to the Rockets with the 20th selection.

He led the G League in scoring, averaging 26.2 points, while meeting Udoka's challenge of improving his defense. Whitmore recorded 6.8 rebounds while tied for ninth in the G League after registering 2.1 steals.

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Before rejoining the Rockets, Whitmore scored a team-high 19 points while adding nine rebounds and two steals amid the Vipers' loss to the Rip City Remix on Dec. 21.

Since returning from his latest G League stint, Whitmore is reaping the benefits of his development with the Vipers. Over the previous three games, Whitmore has averaged 18.3 points while playing 20.9 minutes.