Kevin Porter Jr. scored an efficient 19 points and dished out a season-high 13 assists on Sunday, leading the Houston Rockets to an emphatic 142-110 win (box score) over San Antonio at Toyota Center.
For the young and rebuilding Rockets (15-49), who are now tied for the NBA’s worst record with Detroit, it’s only the fourth time in the 2022-23 season that they’ve won consecutive games. They also defeated the Spurs (16-49) on Saturday in San Antonio. That combination of results could significantly help the Spurs from the perspective of the 2023 NBA draft race, pending future results.
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The Rockets are 2-1 since Porter returned last Wednesday from a 20-game absence with a left foot contusion. For the season, the Rockets are 3-18 (.143) when their starting point guard is out of the lineup — good for a win pace of under 12 games over a full 82-game campaign — and 12-31 (.279) when he plays, which is a 23-win pace.
Porter made 7-of-11 shots (63.6%) versus the Spurs, including 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60.0%). In his injury absence, the Rockets were largely devoid of point guards, with undrafted second-year guard Daishen Nix and rookie TyTy Washington picking up the bulk of minutes.
Backcourt mate Jalen Green scored a game-high 31 points Sunday on 11-of-19 shooting (57.9%), including 4-of-8 from 3-point range. Starting center Alperen Sengun added 15 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals for the Rockets on 6-of-9 shooting (66.7%).
Other Houston players in double figures included:
- Tari Eason: 17 points, 8 rebounds; 7-of-13 shooting (53.8%), 1-of-3 on 3-pointers (33.3%)
- Jae’Sean Tate: 16 points, 2 rebounds; 5-of-7 shooting (71.4%), 1-of-1 on 3-pointers
- KJ Martin: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists; 5-of-7 shooting (71.4%), 1-of-1 on 3-pointers
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists; 3-of-6 shooting (50.0%), 1-of-1 on 3-pointers
After sitting out Saturday, Devin Vassell returned to San Antonio’s lineup with 13 points and a team-high 5 assists, though Houston held him to 5-of-15 shooting (33.3%) and 2-of-8 on 3-pointers (25.0%).
Scroll on for highlights, analysis, and postgame interviews. Next up for Houston is Tuesday night’s home game versus Brooklyn, with tipoff from Toyota Center set for 7:00 p.m. Central.
One of the best quarters of basketball all season from Kevin Porter Jr.
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) March 6, 2023
Kevin Porter Jr’s willingness to pass tonight has been excellent. Constantly looking for teammates
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) March 6, 2023
The Rockets put up 142 points, led by Green’s 31 points and KPJ’s 17 PTS, 13 AST. Everyone played well
I’m just happy for the guys they got to experience these back to back Ws. Tari Eason’s improvements are also quite exciting
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) March 6, 2023
Jalen Green on Kevin Porter Jr taking some of the pressure off him: “It’s not a little bit of pressure, it’s a lot. With Scoot being back, when they double team it takes the pressure off. You need somebody to run the team and he does a good job at that.”
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) March 6, 2023
After the game, #Rockets coach Stephen Silas said Alperen Sengun is starting to regain his rhythm after struggling post All-Star break.
Silas said having both Jalen Green & Kevin Porter Jr. back has been a big helped. pic.twitter.com/Uw3w1FLRdp
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) March 6, 2023
Jalen Green: “We all gotta be on the same page going into next season. We know we can’t really do anything about our record with playoffs or anything like that, but it’s all about pride and just going out and playing hard and trying to win as many games as possible.”
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) March 6, 2023
Kevin Porter Jr said today was the best he’s felt since his return and he did not re-aggravate his toe at any point in this game
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) March 6, 2023
What the Spurs did the last 2 nights is how you tank. Play some of your guys in one game, sit them and then play the other guys the next game. Pop should teach a tanking course
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) March 6, 2023
FINAL: Rockets 142, Spurs 110.
Houston’s largest win margin of the season. Set season highs in FG percentage and 3-point percentage, tied a season high in paint points set last game
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) March 6, 2023
The Rockets scored 74 points in the paint in both games against the Spurs this weekend.
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) March 6, 2023
If we could play the spurs 82 times there would be world peace
— Apathetic (@ftank58) March 6, 2023
Tari Eason’s new found finishing ability around the rim really pleases me! #Rockets
— Chris A. White ???? (@fyrebear) March 6, 2023
After losing to the Rockets by a combined 50 points over the past two nights, the Spurs’ spot in the NBA standings looks like this:
27. Hornets 20-46
28. Spurs 16-49
30t. Pistons 15-49
30t. Rockets 15-49And ya’ll were worried.
— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) March 6, 2023
The triple take: Rockets 142, Spurs 110
1. For the first time this year, the Spurs trotted out some tankeriffic lineups in the double dip vs. Houston
2. All tanking teams are not created equal
3. Charles Bassey, plausible NBA starter? https://t.co/cUxXADTFWU via @expressnews
— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) March 6, 2023
Pistons, Rockets and Hornets all play each other one more time, Spurs done with all three
— Bruno Passos (@bouncepassos) March 6, 2023
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