On the second night of a road back-to-back, the weary Rockets were no match for the rested Knicks in Monday’s 137-115 loss (box score) at Madison Square Garden. New York (43-33), which hadn’t played in four days, remains on course for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, while Houston (18-58) is still last place in the West.
With the loss, Houston clinched one of the NBA’s three worst records of the 2022-23 season, which guarantees maximum odds of securing one of the top-four draft picks determined by the 2023 lottery.
Third-year guard Immanuel Quickley set a career-high with 40 points on elite efficiency, making 14-of-17 shots (82.4%) and 5-of-7 on 3-pointers (71.4%). Quickley also dished a team-high 9 assists for the Knicks. Veteran forward Julius Randle added 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting (52.6%), including 3-of-8 on 3-pointers (37.5%).
Kevin Porter Jr. bounced back from an off night Sunday with a team-high 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting (57.1%) and 3-of-6 from 3-point range (50%), but Porter and the rest of Houston’s backcourt struggled defensively to contain Quickley. Other double-figure scorers were:
- Jalen Green: 19 points, 4 assists; 4-of-11 shooting (36.4%), 1-of-5 on 3-pointers (20.0%), 10-of-12 on free throws (83.3%)
- KJ Martin: 18 points, 6 rebounds; 7-of-11 shooting (63.6%), 1-of-3 on 3-pointers (33.3%)
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 14 points, 11 rebounds, career-high 6 assists; 6-of-13 shooting (46.2%)
- Alperen Sengun: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 turnovers; 5-of-9 shooting (55.6%), 1-of-1 on 3-pointers
- Tari Eason: 13 points, 8 rebounds; 5-of-11 shooting (45.5%)
- Josh Christopher: 12 points, 6-of-10 shooting (60.0%)
The Rockets were competitive until late in the third quarter, but the game spiraled quickly once the second unit came in. Tired legs may have also been a factor.
Scroll on for highlights, postgame interviews and reaction by Houston fans and media members. The Rockets will conclude their five-game road trip with Wednesday night’s visit to Brooklyn. The tip is again scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central.