LAS VEGAS – With just under 13 seconds left in Saturday’s intense fourth quarter, the Houston Rockets held a slim 87-86 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder. As second-year guard Daishen Nix took the ball on the opposite side of the court, he faced tremendous pressure.
Behind him in the seats were regular-season teammates Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun, and Jae’Sean Tate, waiting to see if Nix would make the right decision to help Houston secure the win. Nix also had pressure staring him in his face with 7-foot-1 rookie Chet Holmgren obstructing his view, making it difficult to inbound the ball.
This situation may have rattled Nix, last season, in one of the 24 games he played with the Rockets. But this is a different Nix, who is trying to show Houston’s coaching staff — and in particular, head coach Stephen Silas — that he is ready to take his game to the next level.
