Houston Rockets 'Playing Like Animals - Don't Mess With Us!' NBA Notebook

Houston Rockets 'Playing Like Animals - Don't Mess With Us!' NBA Notebook

HOUSTON — Coach Ime Udoka said he would use a "committee" to replace the services of Amen Thompson, who sustained a Grade 2 ankle sprain on Nov. 1. But during the Houston Rockets' 122-97 victory over the Sacramento Kings Monday night, Aaron Holiday was the only non-rotational player who received additional minutes.

He came off the bench and played 21 minutes to score a season-best 13 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field and three rebounds. Holiday's play was a sample of the hot shooting that led to the Rockets' third consecutive win. But his play on the defensive end embodied the type of player Udoka treasures.

"He changes the game with his defensive pressures, picking guys up full-court, sets the tone in his own way," Udoka said. "He's a tough, strong guy, and kind of kept us afloat in the fourth quarter early when we took our guys out to maintain the lead."

Holiday came into the game for Jalen Green at the 5:42 mark of the first quarter and made an instant impact. When he stepped onto the court of the Toyota Center, it was a tied game at 13.

Holiday immediately drilled a floater over the top of Domantas Sabonis, giving the Rockets a two-point advantage and a lead they would not relinquish.

The Rockets built a 12-point lead over the next 10 minutes due to Holiday's contributions. And his most significant impact came on the defensive end. He picked each player up full-court, and the ball pressure forced the Kings into inefficient offensive possessions.

Early in the second quarter, Holiday played the passing lane to intercept JaVale McGee's attempt to Davion Mitchell. He capitalized on the steal by converting an And-1 basket over Mitchell.

"Man, at a young age, my parents did a good job of teaching me how to play defense," Holiday told Inside the Rockets. "They told me 'It's going to get you places.' I really took that to heart, and obviously out here, nobody's really pressuring like that. So, I could change the tempo, change the game and change a lot of things just by picking up so that's why I do it."

It's appropriate that Udoka replaced Thompson's minutes with another guard whose family has a strong basketball background. And since filling in for the former OverTime Elite prospect, the Rockets' have seen their production on the defensive end improve. 

During their two-game mini-series against the Kings, Holiday helped the Rockets possess a defensive rating of 99.5 while holding the Kings to an average of 93.0 points. 

"I’m always ready to play through practice, working out," Holiday said. "You just have to stay ready. You never know when your time is going to be called."

Rockets guard Aaron Holiday handles the ball against Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the first quarter at Toyota Center / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Rockets showcase defensive improvements vs. Kings: Holiday played a prominent role in the Rockets' defensive efforts against the Kings. But overall, the two-game series illustrated Houston's defensive improvements as a unit.

The Kings obliterated the Rockets during the 2022-23 season by scoring an average of 129.2 points. And in back-to-back road wins over Houston, the Kings had scored an average of 99.0 points through three quarters. But with Udoka at the helm, the Rockets held Sacramento under 100 points in back-to-back games.

"We are playing like animals, right now," Alperen Şengün said. "Everyone is tough and physical, everyone’s helping each other, and nobody’s getting easy points anymore. We’re running back. We’re doing everything right now. We need to keep this up all year, and we’re not going to let anyone mess with us this year."

Alperen Şengün outplays Sabonis for the second straight game: De'Aaron Fox missed the Kings' two-game series due to a sprained ankle, and the absence led to Sacramento playing more through Sabonis. The increased responsibilities for the two-time All-Star created an intriguing big-man match-up with Alperen Şengün. 

Udoka said Sabonis was a player opponents had to play physically while acknowledging that the second-generational big man would be a "good test" for Şengün.

Şengün not only helped the Rockets get back to .500 with a near triple-double of 17 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, but he outplayed Sabonis during the mini-series. 

Şengün's defensive production led to Sabonis having another below-average performance with eight points (3-for-4 FG), eight rebounds and five assists.

"He's been great," Udoka said. "Obviously, Sabonis got in foul trouble there, but to really two good games against a high-level center in the league that has a ton of success. He had nine assists in the first half and got everybody involved. Very pleased with what he did and got to do it again against another high-level guy coming in next."