Although the Rockets win, the game is decided by a contentious call.
The Houston Rockets were without Fred VanVleet, Cam Whitmore, and Tari Eason going into their game against the New York Knicks. They were also on a four-game losing run. Before the game, coach Udoka provided an update on each of the three players. Out of the three, he said Whitmore has the best chance to play on Wednesday despite his ankle still hurting. Eason won’t participate in the final game before the All-Star break, and VanVleet is probably out.
Alperen Sengun, who missed the previous game against the Atlanta Hawks, was cleared to play against the Knicks, which was fantastic news for the Rockets. Without OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Julius Randle, the Knicks were battling injuries.
Neither side was able to break away to begin the quarter, so the teams exchanged baskets early in the game. The boisterous Knicks fan base, who even began chanting “MVP” for Jalen Brunson, was the most obvious aspect of the first half of the game. Dante DiVincenzo made three early three-pointers to give the Knicks a 14-8 lead, giving the spectators enough to cheer for.
But with to Jalen Green’s fierce aggression in the paint—he attempted six early free throws—the Rockets managed to weather the storm. The Rockets’ offensive performance in the first quarter was not particularly spectacular, but they did manage to grab a 29–22 lead at the end of the first quarter, primarily due to their nine trips to the free throw line as opposed to the Knicks’ three.
Houston began to pull away in the second quarter as Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson took over the game. The quarter began with multiple Sengun scores, followed by one of Thompson’s greatest passes of the year.Later in the quarter, Thompson would add a basket or two more, giving the Rockets a 16-point lead. Rockets would lead by 57 points at the half. The Rockets’ top scorer was Jabari Smith, but Sengun also had a strong first half, going 4-for-4 with four assists.
The Knicks came out firing in the third quarter, going on a 14-4 run to begin the quarter and cutting the deficit to two at 7:31. Even though he missed the free throw, Brunson’s layup and foul would eventually tie the game for the Knicks. The third quarter proved to be difficult for both teams, particularly for the Rockets, who managed just 14 points. The Rockets led by just three points going into the fourth quarter after Houston’s poor performance in the third quarter allowed the Knicks to tie the game.
Aaron Holiday got going as Houston opened up a 10-point lead. They scored eight points in a row on Holiday, highlighted by a spectacular slam off a Rockets fast break. The final few minutes of the game would eventually see back-and-forth action. With 2:09 remaining in the game, the Rockets led 101-96 thanks to a three-pointer by Dillon Brooks. Alec Burks of the Knicks then made a three-pointer, and with 8.1 seconds remaining, Jalen Brunson’s mid-range shot tied the score. At that point, the game becomes chaotic.
After receiving the inbound pass, Aaron Holiday drove to the hoop and forced Jalen Green to pass it off. As time ran out, Holiday collected the rebound and made an off-balance three-pointer. With time, yes? No, the effort was ruled a foul as the clock was running out, and Holiday was awarded three free throws following a review. In order to shave off time, he made two and purposefully missed the final one.
Holiday discussed the play with the media following the game.Following the game, Malloy, who had made the final decision following the review, changed his mind, which is something that hardly seldom happens, and the Knicks and their supporters felt, of course, that they had been cheated.
The Rockets will win in spite of this and snap their four-game losing streak.
The final game before the All-Star break will feature the Rockets against the Memphis Grizzlies.
