Houston Rockets Stunned By Miami Heat 109-89

Goodness gracious Houston Rockets’ fans!

This team has still got to get back to its winning ways.

I’m beginning to wonder if this team is to going to have to wait awhile for its first win of the season.

This Rockets team has all of the tools it needs to get to the next level — an NBA championship — but it’s going to be awhile before these parts fuse together.

But when they do fuse, we’ll know and we’ll be eternally thankful to Daryl Morey for going out and getting exactly what this team needs.

Anyway, this team is now has now disembarked on their first road trip of the season with the Miami Heat being their first opponent.

The Rockets pounced on the Heat early, going up by as much as 15 points before the half and then pushing it up by as much as 21 points in the second half.

Then something crazy happened…

Yep, it was a sort of an implosion as well — all of a sudden, the Heat made a whole bunch of switches, going to a younger lineup featuring Justise Winslow, Hassan Whiteside and Gerald Green all contributing to an incredible turnaround.

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The Rockets looked like an old, rickety dam that was just holding on for dear life before the eventual burst.

You could characterize the Heat as the water, putting tremendous pressure on the Rockets as they edged closer and closer before taking a 85-83 lead with 8:11 left in the 4th quarter after a Chris Bosh three-pointer.

That’s about when the dam failed and the Rockets seemed to be defenseless as to how to stop the deluge.

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From when the Rockets were up 65-44 at the start of the third, the Heat went on a 44-18 run after that Bosh three-pointer when they took the lead in the 4th.

The Heat never looked back as they had the confidence, the calmness and the backing of the home crowd which are all deadly detriments to when someone is trying to close out a game.

It made my stomach rumble a bit after I saw the unraveling of the Rockets lead that I thought was likely insurmountable.

As you know, no lead is safe in the NBA, especially with this team.

The Rockets just need to sit down and figure out how to be committed to play quality defense for 48 minutes.

That’s all they need to do — the shots are not going to always fall but if they can control their opponent with stifling defense, it can still win games.

Let’s also hope that Dwight Howard can show up on consistent basis although the goal is to ensure he’s healthy going into the playoffs.

12 points in the third quarter, 14 points in the 4th — it’s almost incomprehensible as far as what I just saw tonight.

We’ll have to put on hold the celebration for the team’s first win of the season, it will come soon enough.

Just not now…

Next: Red Nation Hoops Podcast: Episode 6: Season Preview

Marcus Thornton, getting the start tonight for the Rockets, had a monster game of 21 points while James Harden put up just 16 points (2-for-15 FG) but coming through going 12-for-14 from the charity stripe.

Whiteside dumped 25 on the Rox!

Let’s get it done fellas!

Go Rockets.