Maybe the third time will be the charm for the Houston Rockets as they prepare to take on the Clippers for the third time in under two weeks. The Rockets were defeated 142-111 on Feb. 17 in Los Angeles before coming up one point short in Sunday’s 99-98 loss at Toyota Center.
“I think our defense was much better this time around,” Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate said after Tuesday’s home shootaround. “We played a competitive game. We were right there. We have to make a couple of more adjustments, and I feel like today will be a winnable game.”
Tate, who is averaging 16.5 points per game in the last two meetings against the Clippers, doesn’t believe that playing a team so many times in such a short period matters in the totality of the season:
We play so many games. It is definitely easy to prepare for because when you see an opponent two days ago, the scouting report really doesn’t change. Other than that, it is just so many games back-to-back that you don’t even know what day of the week it is.
Some might think that Tate may have been speaking figuratively about not knowing what day it was. But as he walked away from the microphone, he stopped and asked reporters for the day of the week.
“I think our defense was better this time around,” said Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate about the one-point loss to the Clippers on Sunday. #Rockets #LightTheFuse #Sarge pic.twitter.com/U168VfyAs6
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) March 1, 2022
One bright spot Houston can take into Tuesday’s game is an assist-to-turnover ratio that worked out in their favor of late. On Sunday, the Rockets recorded 26 assists while only giving the ball up seven times. Most of the credit can be given to veteran point guard Dennis Schröder, who started with Kevin Porter Jr. out nursing a sprained ankle.
“I am a competitive guy, and I want to win every game,” said Schröder, who finished two rebounds short of his first career triple double. “We shared the ball, and even the last couple of games, the ball is moving.”
Houston (15-45) enters Tuesday’s game at Toyota Center with nine straight losses, and they would love to end that skid tonight.
