Inside The Rockets

Spurs' Gregg Popovich Praises 'Physical' Rockets: 'They Put Us in Mud!'

The Houston Rockets played a physical game in their win against the San Antonio Spurs.

Jeremy Brener

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The Houston Rockets are on a win streak after a 114-101 victory against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night at home.

Arguably the turning point in the game came with about 5:24 in the third quarter when Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan tripped Rockets guard Amen Thompson, resulting in some heated words, coaching staffs clearing the benches and technical fouls assessed to both young players.

Alperen Sengun Victor Wembanyama Spurs
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Rockets held a one-point lead at that point, but they wound up winning by 13.

"They (Houston) deserve a lot of credit," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said postgame. "They were physical from the get-go until the end of the game. They came after it. They put us in mud."

The Rockets' physicality has been a theme over the past few games. They've gotten chippy with their opponents. On Thursday, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker got in a scuffle with rookie Cam Whitmore. Then on Saturday, Bradley Beal and Jalen Green appeared to get chippy. And now, the same happens here with Sochan and Thompson.

The Rockets are playing with a chip on their shoulder, knowing they have to play pretty close to perfect in the final 20 or so games if they want a shot at the postseason.

Alperen Şengün Establishes Himself as Rockets' Cornerstone Amid Win vs. Wembanyama, Spurs

An identity is being built by the young Rockets, one that cautions other teams not to mess with them.

The Rockets are back in action tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT from Toyota Center. The game can be watched on ESPN.

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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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