The Rockets faced a tough challenge against the Denver Nuggets, and let's just say it wasn't their night. Despite being on the second night of a back-to-back and dealing with Denver's high altitude, the Rockets had high hopes coming into the season, and this performance didn't quite live up to those aspirations.
Heading into halftime, the game was still within reach. Both teams were struggling with turnovers, but the key difference was in the shooting department.
Amen Thompson had a rocky start, missing his first four shots. However, he found his rhythm in the second quarter, making all four of his next attempts.
Thompson wrapped up the night with 16 points, four assists, five rebounds, and a steal, shooting 8/14 from the field.
Jabari Smith Jr. had a promising first quarter with nine points but only added two more the rest of the way, finishing 5/10 overall and 1/2 from beyond the arc. Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant had their struggles too, each going 5/8 from the floor but turning the ball over at least twice.
The real story of the night, though, was the Rockets' free-throw shooting. They went 5/14, a mere 35.7%, which is far from ideal. Free throws are supposed to be the easy points, and this performance left much to be desired.
Three-point shooting wasn't much better. By the latter part of the fourth quarter, the Rockets had only made two threes in over 36 minutes of play. It was a rough outing from deep, and the team will need to regroup and find their shooting touch.
Looking ahead, the Rockets have a chance to bounce back against the Pelicans at home on Friday. With a bit of rest and the comfort of their home court, they'll aim to put this performance behind them and show what they're truly capable of. Here's hoping for a stronger outing next time around.