“Rockets are a DANGEROUS team in West” – ESPN on Sengun, KD beat Cavs 114-104 for 5th straight win

“Rockets are a DANGEROUS team in West” – ESPN on Sengun, KD beat Cavs 114-104 for 5th straight win

But, you know, so so often I’ve been asked about how do you get yourself ready to play games when when you know you’re playing spot minutes. It’s all about mentally being ready, believing in yourself, not being afraid to be the hero or the zero when you get in the game, just doing what you do best and let the if the coach gives gives you the the respect of putting you out there in those important minutes, what else is there to do but to do what what you do? Yeah. uh Rockets fourth quarter whether it was Aaron Holiday or whether it’s Alper and Shenon down the stretch they just took over the game. Alper and Shenon and Holiday combined for 26 of the Rockets 44th quarter points as they win it by double digits tonight. A 10-point win in Cleveland. They pick up their 10th victory of the season. Let’s hear from head coach Eudoka this win. Yeah, another big night. U you know and sometimes we needed timely baskets and stops. he stepped up. But um I think the last three four games since we had some injuries, he’s he’s done that. Like I said, he’s done the three years I’ve been here and luxury to have a guy that always stays ready, very professional about his work and you see that on the court. Felt like Reed had some high IQ plays tonight. Just what did you like about seeing Matt grow? Yeah, it was like I said, him and Aaron. I think the spark off the bench um you know, it was needed at a point we got a little sluggish, made some good plays on both ends. um obviously shooting the ball really well and being aggressive and so continues to grow game by game and you know he didn’t play all all the time last year and so you’re seeing him take that second year step. Do you already feel like uh it’s even as well as you guys have did last year now with Kevin getting settled and going that you guys are have eclipsed the talent and in the play that you were you had a season ago. I mean, it’s it’s it’s a different way, I think, uh, experience, IQ, and some, you know, obviously some, like I said, consistent scoring, high level scoring from Kevin and and growth from the young guys that you’ve taken the step that that have taken the step. Overall, we’re doing it a different way, uh, more offensively than defensively at times. And, uh, we want to continue to, you know, maintain that edge that brought us success on the defensive end. And I think we did that other than the third quarter tonight, you know, 40 points in the first half and 104 overall. So when we have nights like that defensively and the growth offensively, you get these solid wins other than the third quarter. So doing it a different way, but um you know, figure it out, take it and get back to guarding the way we’re possible and we’ll be in good shape. Do you like how you’re filling in for Fred? How we are? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, uh we’re asking Reed and and Amen to do a lot as far as that. Do some different things than they have. They played a lot more off ball last year and, you know, two years our men’s been here. And then we know we can have luxury a luxury with Alprin and and Kevin at times to, you know, relieve pressure and and get us into sets and draw that attention. And so we’re doing it a little bit differently. Like I keep saying unconventional how we’re going about it by committee, but um yeah, I think they’re growing game by game as well. How how much of your offense you had to rip up and redo? Yeah, I mean we wanted to come into the season um allowing Amen and Alper and other guys to you know rely on them a lot more regardless and that obviously got expedited a little bit. Fred was somewhat of a safety net with especially area that we struggled before he got here was turnovers. He was one of the best assisted turnover ratio guys and you know ran a lot of our stuff got us into a lot but we’ll go about it differently now. Like I said we wanted to see our young guys take that growth and not have to rely on him as much anyway. So, a little bit different still with him out, but um you know, we got other we can attack other ways with with Kevin and some new new guys that we got. You think you’ll have to continue to ask more of others like almost like a fill in for Fred by committee type thing that you are doing now? Do you see a scenario where that that changes? No, I mean, we’re doing it game by game with those guys. I think we’re kind of getting used to how we’re going about it and took took some, you know, hits early in the season, especially in the turnover areas, but I think guys are kind of finding their spots. We’re understanding how to use them and they’re getting used to each other and so uh we’ll go go about it that way and offense is not necessarily struggling. So, we’re good there and you know defensively we’re a lot bigger and so um you know figuring it out and you know on a little streak right now but there are still things to clean up and as you saw with that lull in the third quarter today. How do you just describe just uh how do he plays, how explosive he could be? Yeah, I mean he’s one of the best scorers in the league obviously and and the reason we went after him like we did tonight was to kind of make other guys prove it and did a really good job in the first half, one for seven, two points. you know, he’s going to be more aggressive coming out and he did that in the third quarter and then we kind of got him back under wraps in the fourth, going after him. But a lot of times we’re putting two on the ball, you know, going after him, blitzing him, and our guys did a pretty good job rotating. He split a few and got loose in the third on some one-on- ones, but um, you know, much lesser night than he’s had, 21, he’s, you know, averaging 30 and had some really big games. And so I think the first half was what we wanted and we got it back under wraps in the fourth. How good does a player have to be for them to merit that type of defense? And yeah, I mean, I’ve I’ve coached against him a ton. Um, you know, coaching with USA and and anybody that I’ve coached or see or respect at that level, whether it’s Kevin or whoever I’ve faced, you know, you can tell by the defense. And same thing with Kevin now and Alper and all the doubles you send. I mean, they’re walking mismatches and seen it all and seen every type of defender. And so it merits that at times and you it’s a gamble to you know make other guys prove it but um when you can hold him to 21 on a you know season where he’s averaging 30 and had big games you know we’re in good shape there. Thanks coach. Thank you. Nugget Suns and Warriors the next three but still plenty to talk about in this one tonight. The Rockets knock off the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stops their winning streak at two. 114 104 the final. Still plenty more to talk about. The other big piece in that fourth quarter, Alfred Shenon. That’s next. This one tonight, they outscored Cleveland’s bench tonight by 12 points. Reed Shepard, Clint Capella, Aaron Holiday. While Holiday did most of the damage, it was Holiday late, Murf, and then it was Reed Shepard early in this game. Yeah. Well, Reed was the one that started the the bench rolling, coming out uh hitting a couple of big threes early and and uh he did a nice job defensively also while he was out there on the floor. Did such a good job. We’re going to talk about it on Calvin’s Court presented by Memorial Herman Rocket Orthopedics. Murphin, what you saw from Reed Shepard tonight. Well, you know, like I said, people think I’m his agent, but but but right from the very beginning, I told you the kind of shooter he was going to be. Now, he’s starting to understand the the pro game itself, and he’s taking his offensive game to another level. Why? Because he’s dissecting the defense. He’s taking what the defense is giving him. when he gets the shot, he is no longer bypassing anything. He gets his legs underneath him. He has his confidence and his team wants him to shoot the ball. He’s shooting like what 65% from the floor, something ridiculous like that over over the over the last, you know, four or five games. Yeah, it’s really it’s been a stretch, right? You’re looking about a half dozen games in which he has been he’s been really good. I there’s he looks there were times last year he just looked like the game was moving faster than he was used to seeing. This year everything is slowed down for for people have no idea how different the NBA game is from college or or high school. This is why I always say when when they learn to play the NBA game, especially uh offensively, you know, you have nobody uh uh in the in the in the the the pro game defensively can stop anybody one-on-one. and the plays are just too good. So that’s why pro defense is all about team. So you’ve got to learn how to dissect the team’s defense. That’s how you learn to play uh professional basketball. All right, let’s talk about Kevin Durant. He’s our Kia player profile. KD tonight finishes this one another 20point game. Uh wasn’t as the kind of offensive game that we’re used to seeing from Kevin Durant, but certainly did things to help this team win games. Big three that he knocks down right here. Six of 18 shooting tonight. Was seven of eight from the free throw line. Had three rebounds as well. You know, uh when you have a bad night, he still scores 20. Exactly. Where do we sign up? Right. You know, that type thing. But the the thing that I like about about Kevin’s game is he gets his shots, his kind of shots, and he’s another one that mixes his game up uh takes his game to the middle distance as much as he possibly can. Another thing too though, Murk, that that no one will ever be able to quantify from a numbers standpoint is how many good looks other teammates get because defenses are having to pay so much attention to Kevin. Well, you know, going back to my my standing in the NBA, I used to talk to you about playing with Moses, how much attention he had to get. So, I’d play on the same side of the floor with him, drop the ball in where they had to double team, and the ball would come back quickly. Same thing with Kevin. If you stay, if the floor is spread and and he has the ball in the middle of the floor, wherever the defensive help is coming from, that side is going to get the shot because he’s looking to get the ball over there. Now, if you don’t double team him, I so you take the lesser of two evils. Yeah. The last player regulation in the Orlando game, uh, you know, if if you didn’t have everybody chasing Kevin Durant, Alprren Shingun, I’m not sure without those screens comes open underneath on that pin down. And and you know another thing too when he has the ball everybody’s moving because they they know as a teammate if he gets double team if he gets trapped he’s looking to get the ball to whoever he sees cutting those seams going to the basket. Big night tonight for Aaron Holiday. Big night tonight for Albrin Shingon and a great win for your Houston Rockets. Led this game by as many as 22. win it tonight by 10 after it got close in

“Rockets are a DANGEROUS team in West” – ESPN on Alperen Sengun, Kevin Durant beat Cavs 114-104 for 5th straight win