Despite struggling offensively on Sunday in Detroit, the Houston Rockets once again found a way to succeed through sheer determination.
The Rockets secured a 101-99 victory over the Pistons, marking their third win in the last four games. Houston, set to host the Washington Wizards on Monday night, managed to beat Detroit despite shooting just 40.9 percent from the field and missing 27 of 34 attempts from 3-point range.
What the Rockets excelled in on Sunday was sticking to their early-season strengths by grabbing 17 offensive rebounds and limiting themselves to just 11 turnovers.
According to NBA.com, after their win over Detroit, the Rockets ranked second in the league in offensive rebounding rate (35.9 percent) and fifth in turnover rate (12.5 percent). Their efficiency in these two areas has offset their poor shooting, with only Portland and Utah posting worse effective field-goal percentages than Houston’s 49.6 percent.
Rebounding was a crucial factor for the Rockets against the Pistons. Alperen Sengun grabbed 10 rebounds, while Tari Eason secured nine in 27 minutes off the bench. Starters Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. combined for 14 rebounds despite shooting a combined 5 for 21, including 1 for 11 on 3-pointers.
The Rockets possess the offensive talent to improve their shooting, but their offensive rebounding and ball security should continue to be key strengths.
The Wizards, meanwhile, surrendered a pair of 30-point quarters in the second half of their 121-94 road loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday. This marked their fourth consecutive defeat, with three of those losses by at least 20 points. Washington was again without its second-leading scorer and rebounder, Kyle Kuzma (17 points, 7.7 rebounds), whose absence is keenly felt.
Washington posted a minus-seven rebounding margin and allowed 15 offensive boards that Orlando converted into 22 points. The Wizards’ struggles on the glass were a shared responsibility, but 7-foot rookie Alex Sarr’s mere three rebounds in 24 minutes stood out.
Sarr blocked two shots on Sunday, entering play averaging 2.6 per game, which ranked fourth in the NBA. For Sarr to excel as a rim protector, his teammates will need to support him on the glass when he rotates out of position to fulfill his role as a help defender.
