With three starters out due to injury, the Rockets used a balanced effort with seven scorers in double figures to hold off the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, 103-102 (box score). The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Houston (5-9), while Detroit (3-12) lost its third straight.
Eric Gordon led the Rockets with 20 points, while PJ Tucker (15), Sterling Brown (14), Jae’Sean Tate (13), Victor Oladipo (13), David Nwaba (13), and Ben McLemore (10) all made valuable scoring contributions to a short-handed Houston squad missing three usual starters. Since missing two straight games with left lower leg tightness, Gordon has scored 20 or more points in all three of his outings since returning from injury.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, John Wall (left knee soreness), Christian Wood (right ankle sprain), and Danuel House Jr. (self-isolation) are all expected to miss Saturday’s game in Dallas, as well. For Wall and Wood, Tuesday is their estimated return date. But as head coach Stephen Silas said pregame, they will “worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.” For a team that entered having lost five of six, any win was significant.
DeMarcus Cousins, who started in place of Wood, struggled mightily to score with just 5 points on 2-of-16 shooting (12.5%). However, he did lead the Rockets in other areas with 15 rebounds and 7 assists.
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The Pistons were led by offseason signing Jerami Grant, who had 21 points and 8 rebounds. However, Tucker’s defense helped limit Grant to 4-of-15 shooting (26.7%) for game. Grant did draw a foul from Tucker on the game’s final possession with Detroit down a point, but replay showed it came after the buzzer — which clinched the win for Houston.
The Pistons had 37 free-throw attempts to Houston’s 20, which allowed them to stay competitive. Detroit also shot 15-of-32 on 3-pointers (46.9%), compared to 14-of-41 (34.1%) for the Rockets.
See below for Friday’s highlights and postgame reaction. Houston returns to action on Saturday with an 8:00 p.m. Central tipoff in Dallas.
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