In the 1994 movie Major League II, Cleveland Indians manager Lou Brown walks into his clubhouse and drops one of the most iconic quotes that will live on forever in the sports world:
Ok, we won a game yesterday. If we win today, it’s called ‘two in a row’. And if we win again tomorrow, it’s called a ‘winning streak’… It has happened before.
I can imagine that speech being in the back of the mind of Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas as his team took the floor against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night at the Toyota Center.
The Rockets, who was held to only 89 points in a loss to OKC on November 17 in Oklahoma, returned the favor by keeping the Thunder to the same number of points in a 102-89 victory to extend their winning streak to a season-high three games.
“We were down in the dumps for a while, so this streak feels better than the other one,” said coach Silas after the game on Monday. “Our guys are feeling confident. When shots are falling, we feel like we are in a good place. A level of confidence comes with playing well.”
Houston faces Oklahoma City on Wednesday night in the second game of a home-in-home series between the two teams. They hope to extend their winning streak but also break an 11-game road losing streak. To do that, the Rockets must carry the momentum built up on the three-game homestand on the road. Houston is the only team in the NBA who has not won a game on the road this season.
“Just keep this momentum,” said Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. after practice. “Momentum is a real thing, and we’ve got a lot of it right now. Play the exact same way we played but a little better, and we’re going to get another win, even on the road.”
For the Rockets to secure a win on Wednesday, they need center Christian Wood to continue to dominate as he has done over the last three games, including a 24 point and 21 rebounds against the Thunder on Monday.
“I fight through adversity,” Wood said about his recent surge on both ends of the court. “I fought through the 15-game losing streak and we stayed together and played together. That was the main thing. Getting through adversity.”
After the one-game road trip, Houston will return for a four-game homestand starting on Friday against the Orlando Magic.