The losing streak for the young Houston Rockets (10-32) is at a season-high nine games — and 14 of their last 15, overall — after Friday’s 139-114 loss at Sacramento (box score). The Kings (23-18) have now won three straight and six of their last nine games.
Kevin Porter Jr., Houston’s usual starting point guard, didn’t play due to a left foot contusion suffered in Wednesday’s game in Sacramento, which was the first of two straight between the teams.
Domantas Sabonis responded to Alperen Sengun’s triple-double two nights earlier with one of his own, registering 19 points, 16 assists, and 15 rebounds. Harrison Barnes led the Kings in scoring with 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting (57.1%) and 5-of-8 on 3-pointers (62.5%).
Sacramento is looking to earn its first Western Conference playoff berth since 2006, which represents the NBA’s longest active drought.
Key statistics for the Rockets in Friday’s game included:
- Jalen Green: 27 points (just 2 in second half) on 10-of-21 shooting (47.6%) and 5-of-9 on 3-pointers (55.6%); 2 steals, 4 turnovers
- Jabari Smith Jr.: Career-high 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting (55.0%) and 2-of-7 on 3-pointers (28.6%); 8 rebounds, career-high 3 blocks
- Alperen Sengun: 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting (75.0%); 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals
Scroll on for highlights, analysis, and further postgame reaction. Next up for Houston, as its four-game West Coast road trip winds down, is a Sunday-Monday back-to-back in Los Angeles versus the Clippers and Lakers, respectively. Tipoff for Sunday’s Rockets-Clippers matinee at the Crypto.com Arena is at 2:00 p.m. Central.
Garrison Mathews, Malik Monk, Chimezie Metu, and Tari Eason are each given a technical foul and ejected. Officials ruled that Eason came off the bench as an “instigator.” https://t.co/2CwpHy71VN
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) January 14, 2023
Now, we wait for the NBA to rule on the skirmish. Green, Tate could be facing a suspension for leaving the bench area. Eason got tossed but he did not seem to do anything, at least while the camera was on him, and he was in the game at the time. https://t.co/q3UQNbW6IV
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) January 14, 2023
#Rockets fall to the KIngs, 139-114. Green 25 pts in 1st half, 2 in the 2nd half. Smith Jr with a career high 27pts. Mathews, Eason ejected for their part in a 2nd half skirmish. Houston has lost 9 straight games.
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) January 14, 2023
FINAL: Kings 139, Rockets 114.
Jabari Smith Jr.’s career-high 27 points go to waste. Jalen Green scored just two points in the second half after he had 25 in the first.
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) January 14, 2023
Rockets have given up 274 points to the Kings the last two nights
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) January 14, 2023
I can’t control my laughter watching John Lucas’ reaction on the bench after every Sacramento open 3-pointer.
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) January 14, 2023
As I have said before, the Rockets problems are well beyond just one player. The same issues have popped up in this game that has been issues all year. Rockets do not respond well to teams putting pressure on them, and that showed again in the 3rd quarter.
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) January 14, 2023
Domantas Sabonis joins Oscar Robertson as the only players in franchise history to post at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in a game.
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) January 14, 2023
Rockets went from five turnovers in the first half to 10 in the second half with 7 1/2 minutes left. Kings lead back to 20.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) January 14, 2023
Rockets 139-114. Defense was optional, for them at least.
Jalen Green was hot from deep, finished with 27. Alperen Sengun had 14/6/7/4 and was somehow only a -2, team simply collapsed without him.
Quiet 27 for Jabari as well
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) January 14, 2023
The Rockets just have absolutely no one defending the paint. Sengun is there but it doesn’t matter.
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) January 14, 2023
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