In the blink of an eye, all the Houston Rockets gained during their six-game winning streak entering Tuesday seemed lost when the Phoenix Suns assertively seized momentum early with a 24-0 surge.
The Rockets had climbed to within range of the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and carved out a decent cushion over the Minnesota Timberwolves for at least sixth place. But a 21-point deficit early in the first quarter in Phoenix appeared to undermine the progress that Houston had recently made.
But almost as suddenly, the Rockets roared back and, in the fourth quarter, put the finishing touches on a 119-105 victory that extended their winning streak to seven games and put Houston (50-29) in position to close the regular season with a flourish, starting Thursday when the Rockets host the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener of a season-ending three-game homestand.
Kevin Durant (24 points) was one of three to score at least 20 points for the Rockets, who had all five starters reach double figures. Jabari Smith Jr. (20 points) and Durant hit five 3-pointers each, while Amen Thompson (22 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, three steals) delivered a performance that showcased how the Rockets have matured with their egalitarian approach.
“We’ve earned each other’s trust,” Durant said. “We’ve always been good in the trust department, but now we’ve got some schemes that we’ve been throwing in. Coach (Ime Udoka) has been implementing some different stuff out there, and guys are just executing at the end of the day.”
The 76ers (43-36) suffered their second consecutive loss at a most inopportune time on Monday, falling on the road 115-102 to the San Antonio Spurs. Philadelphia remains in a tight battle with several teams in the East, attempting to avoid the postseason play-in tournament.
Philadelphia has scuffled all season against roster attrition, and now that the 76ers are relatively healthy, their current issue is hurriedly blending their pieces into a cohesive unit. Against the Spurs, All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey logged nearly 40 minutes but tallied 15 points, well below the 28.4 points per game average that represents a career best by a decent margin for the six-year pro.
“For us to win games, I’ve got to be aggressive. I’ve got to do what I normally do,” Maxey said. “We won’t win like we want to win with me not having any points in the first half and having however many I had in the second half. So, I’ll be better.”
The challenge for Maxey and the 76ers is to create a system for their top scorers to coexist, a group including veterans Joel Embiid and Paul George and rookie VJ Edgecombe. Philadelphia has enjoyed precious few games with all its frontline starters available, and while progress has been made of late, time is running short with the playoffs approaching.
“I just think that you’re seeing some better reads on the offensive end between Paul and Joel, which I think is important,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. “The rhythm is not quite all the way there, but you’re seeing it develop a little bit, and I’d say that’s something to build on as well.”
