Rockets Game 5 Notebook: Isolation Sends Houston To A Jazzy Loss

Coach Stephen Silas was disappointed by the team's offensive outing but pleased by the second-half fight the Houston Rockets showcased amid their loss to the Jazz.

HOUSTON — Coach Stephen Silas warned the Houston Rockets that the game plan used to help record an eight-point victory Monday night could not work during the second half of a home-and-home contest against the Utah Jazz.

"That's what happens when you play a team two times in a row," Silas said. "They are going to make adjustments. It's almost like the playoffs, where you do something in Game 1, and they adjust to it. Now, you have to make the next adjustment."

Despite coming into the season longing for more ball movement and less isolation, the latter played a role in helping the Rockets secure their first victory of the 2022-23 campaign over the Jazz. 

But in spite of Silas' warning during his pre-game meeting, Houston's young corps tried to duplicate their offensive game plan inside Vivint Arena. Instead of starting their four-game west coast road trip with a win, the Rockets sustained their fourth loss of the season in a 109-101 defeat to the Jazz Wednesday night.

Silas attributed the Rockets' defeat to an abundance of isolation. He said the Jazz took the loss inside Toyota Center personal. And after making adjustments, Utah spent more time helping on the defensive side of the ball to prevent Houston from scoring easy buckets.

The extra effort the Jazz gave on the defensive side of the ball resulted in Houston making tough decisions on offense.

The Rockets finished the game with a season-high 19 turnovers, with a dozen coming during the first half. Utah's defense also forced the Rockets into taking several ill-advised 3-pointers, which had Houston shooting 27.5 percent from behind the arc in the loss.

"Too much one-on-one and not great spacing," Silas said. "We then decided to attack and force them into decisions defensively, which led to open threes and layups — just better play."

Finding a silver lining even in defeat

The Rockets trailed the Jazz by as many as 19 points. But with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Houston was in striking distance to complete an improbable comeback. 

Silas was pleased by the Rockets' fight and unwellness to surrender in Utah. Houston made changes that led to the team outscoring the Jazz 52-48 during the second half.

"We are a young team, and winning in the fourth quarter is hard," Silas said. "The fight from this group is consistent, and I love it. When we were down by 19 points, we could have said, 'oh, well. We are in Utah, and this is the first of a four-game road trip.' We could have packed it in. But that is not us."

Houston outscored Utah 26-20 in the final period. Kevin Porter Jr. led the Rockets' fourth-quarter comeback attempt by scoring 15 points.

Silas said Porter was disappointed with how he played through the first 24 minutes. And during the second half, Silas noticed that Porter had changed his mindset. 

His ability to recuperate his perspective mid-game to give the Rockets new life was evidence of the ongoing growth Silas has seen in Porter since January of 2021.

Porter finished the game with a team-high 24 points on 10-of-22 shooting. He also added five rebounds and five assists.

Quick Hits:

- Jalen Green scored 17 points while shooting 6-of-20 from the floor, and 2-of-9 from behind the arc. Jabari Smith Jr. added 10 points and nine rebounds in the loss.

- Jae'Sean Tate made his season debut after missing the first four games due to an ankle injury. He finished the game with seven points and five rebounds.

- Josh Christopher recorded his first DNP since November of last year. Christopher has seen a decline in minutes through the first four games of the season. Last year he averaged 18.0 minutes per game. But this year, Christopher's minutes have decreased to 9.0 minutes per game.

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You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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