The Houston Rockets outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers in extra time, 122-115, on Wednesday, avoiding a entice sport on the highway in opposition to a nasty workforce, and on the second night time of a back-to-back. Within the win, Jalen Inexperienced paced the Rockets with 41 factors, however Alperen Sengun’s OT takeover lifted the workforce to victory, whereas Fred VanVleet struggled, scoring solely 13 factors in 42 minutes. In the meantime, Tyrese Maxey scored 39 factors in 45 minutes, in one more sport the place co-stars Paul George and Joel Embiid didn’t play.
Previous to extra time, Sengun had struggled, however he instantly wakened in extra time, scoring a lot of the Rockets’ factors, and VanVleet advised him about it after the sport.
In accordance with Rockets coach Ime Udoka, “Fred VanVleet checked out his faux watch and advised Sengun, ‘Thanks for exhibiting up at 9:30,’” per ClutchFans on X, previously Twitter.
Rockets def. 76ers, sit on third within the West
Earlier than beating the undermanned 76ers, the Rockets had already proven flashes of enchancment final season, lacking the play-in event solely by a hair, and now they’ve taken issues to a different degree.
With the win, they now have 14 wins on the season, most within the Western convention, although they sit in third as a result of they’ve extra losses than the Thunder and the Warriors.
Furthermore, Alperen Sengun’s efficiency could have made a robust case for him being the precise finest participant on the Rockets, Fred VanVleet may very well be proper in that the Turkish swingman wants to point out up earlier in video games.
A clearly inferior workforce within the 76ers should not have taken the Rockets to extra time, however then these so-called “entice video games” are the video games contenders must win in the event that they wish to make a run within the postseason.
In the meantime, the Sixers’ woes proceed. This loss has given them a 3-14 file, second-worst in your complete league, simply forward of the 2-15 Washington Wizards, at the moment on a 12-game shedding streak regardless of robust performances from No. 2 general decide Alex Sarr.
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Even after Maxey known as out Embiid in a workforce assembly just lately, it nonetheless would not matter if the previous MVP could not play anyway.
Moreover Embiid, main free company acquisition Paul George has solely performed in eight video games on account of harm, whereas newest function participant Caleb Martin didn’t play in opposition to Houston on account of again soreness.
These developments are unlucky for the 76ers, billed as title contenders within the offseason due to their roster strikes.
Nonetheless, accidents have turned a promising yr right into a catastrophe, with Maxey trying like 2005 Kobe Bryant main a bunch of function gamers and reserves to a shedding season.