Rockets Dominance vs. Spurs Shows Growth

The Houston Rockets didn't let the San Antonio Spurs get close in their big win.
Nov 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) passes the ball around San Antonio Spurs guard David Duke Jr. (7) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Nov 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) passes the ball around San Antonio Spurs guard David Duke Jr. (7) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets went down to the wire against the San Antonio Spurs in their first two meetings this season at the Frost Bank Center. However, there were no nails bitten in their 127-100 win against the Spurs on Wednesday night at the Toyota Center.

Playing at home certainly makes a difference, especially for the Rockets, but it also is a sign of the team's early growth on the young season.

The Rockets had yet to win a game in blowout fashion up until this point, but they managed to put the Spurs away early and keep their foot on the gas.

The Rockets used to be where the Spurs were, getting routinely blown out by superior teams. However, they are no longer the inferior. They have the roster capable of competing every single night, which has been proven through the team's first eight games. The Rockets have either won or lost a close game. Even when they trailed by 31 last week against the Golden State Warriors, they managed to come back only to fall in overtime.

With Ime Udoka in his second season at the helm, expectations have been set and there's a familiarity there that wasn't present before. It will allow the Rockets to be competitive night-in and night-out, and that will move them up the ladder in a tight Western Conference throughout the season.

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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.