Nearly one month into the regular season, the Houston Rockets have firmly established themselves as a defensive powerhouse.
Following a 130-113 home victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Houston ranks third in defensive rating, allowing just 104.8 points per 100 possessions. The Rockets aim to tighten their defense even further as they continue their three-game homestand on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers in their second NBA Cup game. Both Houston and Portland are 1-0 in Western Conference Group A action.
A key aspect of the Rockets’ defensive success is their ability to force turnovers, combined with their strong offensive rebounding. These elements compensate for an otherwise inefficient offense. Houston has also built a reputation for scoring in transition, with these strengths on full display against the Pacers.
The Rockets converted 23 Pacers turnovers into 30 points and recorded 23 fastbreak points. They rank fourth in the league in points off turnovers at 20.6 per game and third in fastbreak points with 18.1 per game, trailing only the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets.
Houston is also second in the league in second-chance points, averaging 18.1 per game. Against the Pacers, they scored 16 second-chance points off 13 offensive rebounds and finished with a plus-19 margin in field goal attempts.
Their ability to crash the offensive boards and force opponents into mistakes has been crucial to their early-season success.
Alperen Sengun led Houston with a season-high 31 points and 12 rebounds in Wednesday’s win. The fourth-year center is the team’s second-leading scorer (18.4 points per game) and top rebounder (11.1 per game).
On Wednesday, the Trail Blazers’ 109-99 road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder ended their three-game winning streak. Portland played without two of their top four scorers, Anfernee Simons (chest) and Deandre Ayton (finger), requiring other players to step up.
Second-year forward Toumani Camara responded with 14 points and nine rebounds. His 11 shot attempts were just one short of his season high, and his points and rebounds matched his second-highest totals this season.
Although Camara ranks ninth on the Trail Blazers with 9.1 points per game, he has shown he can handle a larger role when needed.
