The Rockets were short-handed up front and still beat Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets 110-100 on Monday. With Steven Adams, Clint Capela and Oscar Tshiebwe all out, Alperen Şengün was the only traditional center Houston had. So whenever he sat, coach Ime Udoka slid Jabari Smith Jr. to the five, and the Rockets small-ball lineup did the rest.
Rockets Small-Ball Lineup Beats Jokic: Smith at Center Was Plus-13
The numbers tell the story. Houston was plus-13 in 13 minutes with Şengün on the bench and Smith at center, and Jokic was on the floor for the stretch that mattered most.
Denver opened the second half on a 20-6 run in the first seven minutes to tie the game and force a Rockets timeout. Houston went small for the rest of the quarter and closed it on a 17-8 run, with Jokic on the floor the entire time.
Jokic still had 25 points and 16 rebounds, and Jamal Murray scored 38. But they were the only Nuggets in double figures. Houston snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 8-3.
Durant Rebounds, Smith Delivers
Kevin Durant didn’t need a big scoring night to make his mark. He had 23 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, with the rebounds and assists both season highs. He scored 11 in the first quarter, shot just 1-of-8 the rest of the way, and made all 10 of his free throws.
He knew what the smaller lineup demanded. Durant said that “helping my team rebound, especially when we go small like that” has been key. His 12 boards backed that up.
Smith finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and he knocked down a timely three-pointer in the fourth quarter along with Reed Sheppard and Fred VanVleet. Şengün added 20 points and eight assists for a double-double.
A Look Houston Can Lean On
None of this was brand new. Houston had already leaned on the look to rally in Saturday’s loss to Phoenix. Before Monday’s game, Udoka blamed the two straight losses on physicality and said his team got “outhustled”.
Udoka said afterward that the Rockets “became the aggressor.” The result was turnovers, defense turning into offense and 29 assists on 41 made baskets. Houston’s bench outscored Denver’s 33-22.
One game doesn’t make a system, and the Rockets small-ball lineup won’t always meet Jokic with this much success. But with three bigs out, it gave Udoka a look he can trust. It also gave the Rockets a statement win over a team that came in 5-3.
Rockets Small-Ball Lineup Beats Jokic When a Forward Plays Center