Two nights after allowing an astonishing 153 points in a loss at Oklahoma City, the defensive results weren’t much better for the young Houston Rockets in a 140-120 home loss (box score) to Sacramento. The Kings led comfortably for most of Monday’s game, with their 65 first-half points providing a formidable cushion.
In a battle of two rookie forwards drafted in the top-four picks of the 2022 first round, Sacramento’s Keegan Murray clearly outshined Jabari Smith Jr. of the Rockets. Smith, the No. 3 overall selection, saw his first-year offensive struggles continue with 13 points on 5-of-15 shooting (33.3%) and 1-of-6 on 3-pointers (16.7%).
