Tag: Garrison Mathews

Garrison Mathews confidence on the court started on the football field

“He is a good shooter, he takes charges on defense, is in the right place on defense, and has a toughness about him that is needed for our group,” said Rockets head coach Stephen Silas.

On Wednesday night, the Houston Rockets finally ended their 15-game losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bulls 118-113. As the streamers were falling from the rafters, reserve guard Garrison Mathews stayed on the court and took in all the cheers from his teammates and fans.

It was Mathews’s heroics, late in the fourth quarter, that helped Houston seal their second victory of the season. With 25.5 seconds left, Mathews floated into the corner and received a pass from Christian Wood and without hesitation, he hit the shot to put the Rockets up by four points. His teammates and coaches were as excited as he was celebrating as the Bulls called a timeout.

“When you have shooters on the floor it’s a big difference-maker from the way they pack in the defense,” said Mathews, who scored five of the last seven points in the game.

After being called up by the Rockets from their G-League affiliate, Mathews has been ready and available whenever coach Silas inserts him into the game.

He will see his playing time increase due to the hamstring injury suffered by rookie Jalen Green during the first quarter of the game on Wednesday that will keep him out for at least a week.

The Rockets’ coaching staff knows that Mathews is a dangerous shooter.  Yet, it is his defense that has won over his teammates as well. His ability to draw charges to give the Rockets an extra possession stands out on film. It even impressed his teammate Jae’Sean Tate, who has been known for doing the dirty work on the defensive end for Houston.

“He is giving me a run for my money,” Tate said after practice when informed that Mathews leads the team in charges taken this season. “His energy and effort he has been playing with, I am happy for him. A guy that comes on to a team a couple of weeks ago and finds his role and is succeeding in it.”

That success didn’t always come easy for the dual-sport Tennessee native who had dreams of playing in the NFL growing up. The former high school wide receiver/tight end focused solely on basketball after receiving a scholarship to Lipscomb University.

His hard work and dedication paid off as he led the Bisons to the NCAA Tournament in his junior year, which was a first for the university. Mathews followed that up his senior year with a runner-up finish at the 2019 NIT and was voted, Atlantic Sun Player of the Year.

Matthew, 24, went undrafted but was able to earn a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards. Once he was released at the end of the 2021 season, Mathews signed with the Boston Celtics, who waived him at the end of training camp, and the Rockets signed him in October.

“He is a good shooter, he takes charges on defense, is in the right place on defense, and has a toughness about him that is needed for our group,” said Rockets head coach Stephen Silas.

Houston will take on the Charlotte Hornets Saturday at the Toyota Center. The tip-off is at 7 p.m. CST.

Houston Rockets report card: Player grades from Wednesday’s win over Chicago

Stephen Silas chose to go to a smaller lineup in Wednesday’s streak-busting win, and it seemed to work to the benefit of Christian Wood.

On the same day that job speculation swirled with regards to head coach Stephen Silas and rookie Jalen Green was lost to a leg injury, the Houston Rockets pulled off their most satisfying win in quite some time.

Wednesday’s 118-113 victory (box score) over the visiting Chicago Bulls (12-7) snapped a 15-game losing streak for the Rockets and improved them to 2-16 on the 2021-22 season. It was a raucous environment in front of Houston fans at Toyota Center, allowing the home team to head into Thanksgiving with something to finally be thankful for.

The Rockets made a tactical change heading into the game, with Silas removing usual starting center Daniel Theis from the starting lineup (and rotation) while allowing Christian Wood to return to that position — which is where he excelled in the 2020-21 season a year ago.

Jae’Sean Tate slid up to the “power forward” spot, while veteran Eric Gordon started in Tate’s usual spot at small forward. That made for a smaller lineup, but one with much improved shooting and creation ability. As a team, Houston connected on 17-of-36 shots (47.2%) from 3-point range, and seven players shot 50% or better from long range.

In the loss, All-Star wing Zach LaVine led the visiting Bulls with 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting (47.8%). Chicago had entered Wednesday’s game in possession of the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

See below for a roundup of players who took advantage of their new opportunities. Houston returns to action with Saturday’s game versus Charlotte (12-8), which marks the second of a three-game homestand at Toyota Center. For now, they head into a two-day “Thanksgiving break” feeling good about themselves, which is a welcome change.

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Houston Rockets report card: Player grades from Monday’s loss at Boston

Reserves Armoni Brooks and Alperen Sengun played well, but Houston’s losing streak is now at 15 games after a blowout loss at Boston.

Perennial All-Star forward Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 30 points while co-star Jaylen Brown added 19 points in 23 minutes in his return from a hamstring injury, leading the Boston Celtics to a commanding 108-90 victory (box score) at home over the Houston Rockets (1-16).

For Houston, which was led by 17 points off the bench from Armoni Brooks, Monday’s setback is the team’s 15th straight loss. Rockets head coach Stephen Silas attributed some of the sluggish showing to tired legs from a long road trip, which mercifully concludes after four games.

The Rockets were within five points at halftime, but the Celtics (10-8) blew the game open with a 24-3 burst to start the third quarter. Houston shot just 31-of-83 for the game (37.3%) and 11-of-42 on 3-pointers (26.2%), and they were out-rebounded by a commanding 64-48 margin.

See below for highlights, statistics, and player analysis from Monday’s game, with grades limited to players who started or played clear rotation minutes. With the four-game road trip finally complete, Houston kicks off a three-game homestand when Chicago (12-5) visits Toyota Center on Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central.

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Houston Rockets report card: Player grades from Saturday’s loss at New York

The result was the same and the losing streak continues, but Houston’s effort was much improved in a close game at Madison Square Garden.

The losing streak is now at 14 games and counting for the young Houston Rockets (1-15). But in Saturday’s 106-99 setback (box score) at New York’s Madison Square Garden, the effort shown by Stephen Silas’ crew was much improved in a competitive loss to the host Knicks (9-7).

Alec Burks scored a game-high 20 points and hit his first five 3-pointers of the fourth quarter, helping the Knicks rally from a 6-point hole early in the period. Christian Wood led Houston with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Jalen Green and Eric Gordon scored 16 and 15, respectively.

Houston played tough and out-rebounded the Knicks by a double-digit margin (48-37) for the game. But they had 22 turnovers compared to 12 for the Knicks, and the Rockets shot just 10-of-39 on 3-pointers (25.6%) — while New York connected on 18-of-41 (43.9%) from distance. Houston also continued its usual struggles from the free-throw line, shooting 13-of-22 (59.1%). In a game that was there for the taking, the Knicks were much more efficient on their free throws at 22-of-26 (84.6%).

See below for highlights, statistics, and player analysis from Saturday’s game, with grades limited to players who started or played clear rotation minutes. Houston concludes its four-game road trip with Monday’s visit to Boston (8-8), where tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Central.

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Houston Rockets report card: Player grades from Wednesday’s loss at OKC

Jalen Green played well, but Lu Dort broke 30 points for the third time in his career as the Thunder handed Houston a 13th straight loss.

Less than one month ago, the Rockets defeated the Thunder by 33 points to improve to .500 on the 2021-22 NBA season. On Wednesday, Houston (1-14) lost to that same team by double digits in Oklahoma City and extended its losing streak of ongoing futility to 13 games.

Lu Dort scored 34 points on 14-of-22 shooting (63.6%) in the third 30+ point game of his career, and it led the host Thunder (6-7) to a comfortable 101-89 victory (box score) over Houston. In a matchup of two young teams on fairly similar rebuilding timelines, it was a stark contrast of one side that had clearly improved since the start of the regular season in October and another that continues to regress.

Jalen Green led Houston with 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting (42.9%), but Christian Wood continued his shooting slump by scoring just 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting (25.0%), including 0-of-4 on 3-pointers and 2-of-6 on free throws (33.3%). The Rockets made a strategic lineup change by starting Danuel House Jr. over Daniel Theis for matchup reasons, but House went 0-for-5 and did not score, and Theis ended up finishing the game in his usual spot alongside Wood and Jae’Sean Tate on the front line, anyway. Kevin Porter Jr. sat out due to a left thigh contusion.

See below for highlights, statistics, and player analysis from Wednesday’s game, with grades limited to players who played at least 15 minutes. Houston will continue its four-game road trip with Saturday’s visit to New York (8-7), where tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. Central.

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Rockets recall sharpshooter Garrison Mathews from NBA G League affiliate

If he plays, Garrison Mathews brings a 3-point threat to the Rockets. In two seasons with Washington, Mathews shot 38.9% on 3-pointers.

Prior to Sunday’s game versus Phoenix, the Rockets recalled 6-foot-5 wing Garrison Mathews from the NBA G League. Under the terms of Mathews’ two-way contract, Mathews can shuttle back and forth between Houston and its G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The Rockets currently have a clean injury report, so Mathews’ promotion isn’t simply a result of roster necessity. Instead, the Rockets (1-11) — who rank No. 26 in the NBA in 3-point accuracy during their current 10-game losing streak, at 31.7% — appear to want Mathews to be at least an option on the bench of head coach Stephen Silas.

The two-way deal allows Mathews to be with the parent NBA club for up to 50 games. Now 24 years old, Mathews went undrafted in 2019 before catching on with Washington. In two seasons there, Mathews averaged 5.5 points in 16.2 minutes on 38.9% shooting from 3-point range.

The two-way deal could be converted to a standard contract at a later date, which would eliminate any restriction on his total number of games. However, Houston would have to clear a roster spot to do so.

In two games this month with the G League’s Vipers, Mathews averaged 19.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in 32.3 minutes.

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Rockets add Garrison Mathews on two-way contract, waive Anthony Lamb

The Rockets are adding a sharpshooter in Garrison Mathews, who connected on 38.9% of his 3-pointers during two seasons in Washington.

The Rockets are adding a sharpshooter in 6-foot-5 wing Garrison Mathews, who was claimed off waivers Monday and signed to a two-way contract. Under two-way terms, Mathews can shuttle back and forth between Houston and its G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Mathews is eligible to play in up to 50 games with the parent NBA club. Now 24 years old, Mathews went undrafted in 2019 before catching on with the Wizards. During two seasons in Washington, Mathews averaged 5.5 points in 16.2 minutes on 38.9% shooting from 3-point range.

As a corresponding roster move, the Rockets waived second-year forward Anthony Lamb, who was previously on a two-way deal. Mathews joins rookie guard Daishen Nix as the recipients of Houston’s two-way contract allotment entering the NBA’s 2021-22 regular season.

By dropping Lamb for Mathews, general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Stephen Silas are clearly putting an emphasis on superior long-range shooting and floor spacing for Houston’s young roster. By contrast, Lamb shot just 32.4% on 3-pointers last season.

With the Lamb-for-Mathews swap and the recent waiving of Dante Exum, Houston’s roster appears set entering the 2021-22 campaign. The regular season begins with Wednesday’s game at Minnesota.

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Garrison Mathews did not travel with the Wizards to the Disney bubble

Wizards rookie Garrison Mathews reportedly did not travel with the team to the season restart at the Walt Disney World Resort.

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Washington Wizards rookie Garrison Mathews reportedly did not travel with the team to the season restart at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Mathews, who is signed to a two-way contract, has not tested positive for the coronavirus but elected not to travel with the team due to personal reasons. The status of Mathews for the Wizards’ eight seeding games is unclear and it is not yet known if he will join the team at a later date.

Mathews saw an increased role with the Wizards during a 13-game stretch in December, which resulted in a career-high 28 points scored on Dec. 30 against the Miami Heat. Following that stretch, though, he returned to the G League and didn’t play much in the NBA prior to the season shutdown.

The Wizards entered the season restart without a few players after two-time All-Star Bradley Beal was ruled out due to a shoulder injury and Davis Bertans elected against participating. The team will also be without John Wall, who has not played this season due to an Achilles injury.

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Garrison Mathews flashed infinite range in Wizards’ loss on Friday

Mathews went 5-of-7 from 3-point range and drained one shot from 31 feet away in the Wizards’ loss to the Trail Blazers on Friday.

Washington Wizards two-way rookie Garrison Mathews recorded 18 points on Friday night during a 122-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers for his third-straight double-digit scoring performance.

The undrafted guard from Lipscomb finished by shooting 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-7 from 3-point range. The sharpshooter also added two rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes of work off of the bench for the Wizards.

In a small sample size, Mathews has been an impressive shooter this season.

Mathews excelled in catch-and-shoot situations last year in college and that has carried over into the NBA. The rookie is scoring 1.25 points per possession when guarded off of catch-and-shoot looks, which ranks in the 89th percentile, per Synergy Sports.

On the season, Mathews is scoring the bulk of his points from 3-point range. According to NBA stats, Mathews is attempting 83.7% of his field goals from beyond the arc and he is converting on 47.2% (17-of-36) of those shots, including this make from 31 feet out.

Mathews recently scored a career-high 28 points in a win over the Miami Heat on Dec. 30, a game in which he attempted just nine shots. With the Wizards dealing with several injuries, Mathews has seen an increase in playing time and is beginning to show he belongs full-time on a roster.

The Wizards play next on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets.

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Wizards rookie Garrison Mathews erupts for a career-high 28 points

The Wizards set a new franchise record with 80 points scored off of the bench on Monday in a win over the Heat.

Garrison Mathews had just 30 points in 10 appearances prior to Monday.

The two-way rookie nearly matched that alone on Monday night for the Washington Wizards after scoring a career-high 28 points in a 123-105 win over the Miami Heat.

Mathews, undrafted from Lipscomb, finished by shooting 6-of-9 from the field, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, as he also went 12-of-13 from the free-throw line. Mathews checked off a career game in the first half alone after scoring 22 points by the intermission.

The Wizards were forced to turn to their bench with several players banged up, including Bradley Beal, Davis Bertans and Rui Hachimura, and the unit came through. Jordan McRae added 29 points and Ish Smith had 19 as the team set a new franchise record with 80 bench points.

Mathews is the first player from Lipscomb to play in the NBA as he certainly had quite a performance on Monday night. Mathews earned “M-V-P” chants from Wizards fans and he was even mobbed by his teammates in the locker room afterward.

The Wizards play next on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.

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