Inside The Rockets

Rockets Made Their Mark in NBA Cup

The Houston Rockets have some momentum after the NBA Cup ended.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) shoots against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) shoots against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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The NBA Cup has come to an end, and while the Houston Rockets didn't end up as champions, they can walk away from the tournament with their heads held high.

Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey declared the Rockets one of the winners of the NBA Cup.

"Houston has Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore (when he's healthy) in its rotation. All are 23 and under," Bailey writes.

"All of the above helped force the league to give them more national TV exposure. And if they keep their respective teams on this upward trajectory, they could be part of the solution to bring fans back to the league en masse."

While the Rockets have a sneak preview as to what they can do for the long haul, they still haven't accomplished anything of note. They have to continue playing as well as they did during the tournament in the rest of the regular season leading up to the playoffs in order for any of the NBA Cup to have any sort of meaning.

The Rockets are back from four full days of rest as they take on the injured and struggling New Orleans Pelicans at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT from Toyota Center.

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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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