Inside The Rockets

Rockets Coach Ime Udoka Explains Game Plan vs. Spurs Rookie Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama was held to 13 points as the Houston Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs.

Jeremy Brener

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The Houston Rockets remain on top after beating the San Antonio Spurs 103-101 on Tuesday night at the Frost Bank Center.

A big key towards the Rockets win was their defense against Victor Wembanyama, who scored just 13 points in the win.

Jabari Smith Jr. Victor Wembanyama Spurs
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

"Our attention to (Wembanyama), making the other guys have to prove it to beat us, which some of them did for a minute," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said postgame. "(Spurs power forward Jeremy) Sochan and (point guard Tre) Jones hit some shots that kind of kept them in it. But the main thing was taking out those two, and I think we did a good job again."

Wembanyama has struggled all season against the Rockets. In four meetings against Houston, Wembanyama has averaged just 14.8 points per game, about six points shy of his season average. Only the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers have held him to lower averages, but those teams have played against Wembanyama fewer times than the Rockets.

When the Rockets lost to the Spurs back in October, Wembanyama scored 21 points. But in the three meetings that followed, Wembanyama was held to 15 points and the Rockets won each game.

Fred VanVleet Leads Rockets to Fourth Straight Road Victory vs. Spurs

The Rockets' blueprint against the Spurs should be matched around the league ... contain Wembanyama and force the others to beat you.

The Rockets will return to the court on Thursday at home after a perfect road trip to take on the Washington Wizards. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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