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Rockets beat Spurs 128-106, finish preseason with 3-1 record

ROCKETS NOTES

With the win tonight, the Rockets finish the preseason with a 3-1 mark. Going back to 2016, Houston has posted a preseason record of 20-6.

Houston scored a preseason-high 128 points, marking its second game with 120+ this preseason. The Rockets scored 120+ points 29 times last season (26-3 mark) and are 97-8 when doing so going back to 2016-17. Houston averaged 114.0 ppg this preseason.

The Rockets outshot the Spurs 52.7% to 40.9%. Houston was 25-3 when outshooting the opposition in 2019-20. The Rockets were 15-1 when shooting 50.0% or better last season and are 59-5 going back to 2016-17. Houston held opponents to 41.0% shooting this preseason.

Houston hit 17 3-pointers on 39.5% shooting tonight while San Antonio had 7 3FGM on 21.2% shooting. The Rockets were 24-1 when shooting 37.0% or better from behind-the-arc in 2019-20 and hit 10 or more 3-pointers than their opponent 11 times (11-0 mark). The opposition shot 30.4% from 3-point range this preseason.

The Rockets had 26 assists with 11 turnovers tonight after recording 38 assists with 36 turnovers the two games prior. Houston recorded 25+ assists in two of its four games this preseason. The Rockets had 25+ assists 18 times in 72 games played in 2019-20.

Christian Wood had a game-high 27 points with a game-high tying 10 rebounds in his preseason debut. He scored 20+ points 15 times for Detroit last season and recorded 12 double-doubles. Wood averaged 24.2 ppg and 9.8 rpg over his final games played for the Pistons last season.

James Harden had 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting tonight after having 12 points while shooting 3-of-10 in his preseason debut against the Spurs on 12/15. The Rockets were 21-5 when he shot 50.0% or better in 2019-20. Harden scored 32 points in 48 minutes of play this preseason. He had 2,335 points in 2,483 minutes of play in 2019-20.

Eric Gordon had 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range. He scored 20+ points six times during the 2020 playoffs after doing so six times in the regular season. Gordon shot 40.7% from 3-point range this preseason.

Bruno Caboclo led the Rockets bench with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in 19 minutes of play. He averaged 9.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.8 apg and 1.8 bpg in 20.4 mpg this preseason. While playing for Memphis in 2018-19, Caboclo averaged 8.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.5 apg and 0.97 bpg in 23.5 mpg.

Dejounte Murray had 17 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists for the Spurs. He grabbed 10+ boards six times in 2019-20, including a career-high 14 in the season finale vs. Utah. Last season, Murray joined Alvan Adams (1985-86) as the only players in NBA history to have averaged at least 10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 4.0 apg in fewer than 27.0 mpg in a single season.

Rockets sign forward Trey Mourning, son of Alonzo Mourning

The Houston Rockets have signed free agent forward Trey Mourning.

Mourning (6-9, 220) was eligible for the 2019 NBA Draft following his senior season at Georgetown. He spent last season playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA G League and shot 55.6% from the floor in 36 games. Mourning was also a member of Miami’s summer league roster in 2019.

While at Georgetown, Mourning wore the coveted No. 33 jersey which once belonged his father, Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning. In his final season with the Hoyas 2018-19, Trey played for another one of Georgetown’s fabled big men, Patrick Ewing.

Houston Rockets will allow partial fan attendance at home games

FROM THE HOUSTON ROCKETS

In anticipation of the start of the 2020-21 NBA season and the goal to return with a limited number of fans and guests, the Houston Rockets and Toyota Center have established health and safety protocols to create a safe, yet fun environment for fans.

The Rockets and Toyota Center have developed the following protocols and guidelines in partnership with the City of Houston, the Houston Venue and Event Task Force, Memorial Hermann, and the NBA:

Reduced capacity will be enforced for Rockets games and all other arena events to allow for proper distancing between sets of guests.

Ticketed fans will be required to answer a series of health questions before entering the arena. Fans seated in close proximity to the court will require additional league mandated testing protocols.

Proper face masks will be required for ages 2 and up and must be worn at all times inside the arena, unless actively eating or drinking.

No bags are permitted, however lockers will be available for rent.
All tickets will be digital. Guests will manage and scan their touchless tickets through the Houston Rockets mobile app.

To promote social distancing and sanitization, floor markers and signs promoting social distancing and hand sanitization stations will be placed around the arena.

Frequent sanitization of all high touch surface areas during games and events such as seats, handrails, door knob, restrooms, countertops, etc.
All staff will receive additional health and safety training. In addition, staff will also have their temperature checked and will wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

All point of sales at Toyota Center will be cashless. Plexiglas barriers will be installed at all concession and retail stands to reduce direct contact between guests and staff. A touchless food and beverage ordering system option will allow fans to receive their orders at their designated seat to maximize social distancing and the overall fan experience.

Rockets notes after 112-98 preseason game win over Spurs

Win the win tonight, the Rockets improve to 2-1 this preseason with their final game also hosting the Spurs on Thursday. Since going 3-5 in the 2015 preseason, Houston has posted a 19-6 preseason mark.

The Rockets scored 112 points tonight after having just 91 at Chicago on 12/13. Houston was 40-13 when scoring 110+ points last season and 4-15 when scoring below.

Houston held San Antonio to 98 points. The Rockets have not allowed more than 104 points in a game this preseason. Houston was 21-3 when holding opponents below 110 points last season.

The Rockets outshot the Spurs 44.9% to 42.9%. Houston was 25-3 when outshooting its opponent last season and 20-5 when holding the opposition below 45.0% shooting.

Houston outrebounded San Antonio 51-43 tonight after being outrebounded by an average of 9.5 rpg in the two games vs. Chicago. The Rockets were 20-6 when outrebounding their opponent last season.

John Wall had a team-high tying 15 points with 3 steals tonight. He has scored a total of 49 points in 69 minutes of play this preseason. Wall led the NBA in total steals with 157 in 2016-17 and has ranked top-10 in that category four times.

Ben McLemore led all reserves with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. He is averaging 11.7 ppg in 20.6 mpg while shooting 52.2% this preseason. McLemore has hit 2 3-pointers in all three games this preseason while shooting 40.0% from behind-the-arc. He averaged 2.5 3FGM on 40.0% shooting in 2019-20.

James Harden and P.J. Tucker both made their preseason debuts tonight. Harden had 12 points and 4 assists in 21 minutes of play while Tucker also played 21 minutes, scoring 8 points with two 3-pointers made. Harden led the league in scoring in each of the past three seasons. The Rockets were 21-8 when Tucker had 2+ 3FGM in 2019-20.

DeMarcus Cousins had game-highs of 11 rebounds, 4 steals and a block tonight. He is averaging 7.3 rpg, 2.0 spg and 1.7 bpg in just 17.7 mpg this preseason. Cousins averaged 8.2 rpg, 1.3 spg and 1.5 bpg in just 25.7 mpg in his last season played which was for Golden State in 2018-19.

Rookie Jae’Sean Tate had 11 points and 7 rebounds in 18 minutes of play off the bench. He is second on the team in rebounding with 17 boards this preseason. Tate was eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft following his senior season at Ohio State and spent the past two seasons playing overseas.

Lonnie Walker IV had a game-high 17 points for the Spurs. He averaged 11.3 ppg in eight games for San Antonio during the seeding games in Orlando after averaging 5.6 ppg in his first 53 games played in 2019-20.

Rockets sign KJ Martin, Jerian Grant, Trevelin Queen and Brodric Thomas

The Houston Rockets today signed rookie forward KJ Martin along with free agent guards Jerian Grant (JARE-in), Trevelin Queen (TREH-vill-in), and Brodric Thomas.

Martin (6-6, 215) was the 52nd overall pick by Sacramento in the 2020 NBA Draft. The Rockets acquired his rights on November 25. Martin spent last season with IMG Academy’s post-graduate team and averaged 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 69.1% from inside-the-arc. The 19-year-old is the son of Kenyon Martin, who was the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft

Grant (6-4, 198) was originally the 19th overall pick by Washington in the 2015 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to New York. In 279 career games with 61 starts he has averaged 6.1 points, 2.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.94. Grant played for the Capital City Go-Go of the NBA G League last season and ranked sixth in 3-point percentage (44.1%) prior to signing with the Wizards for the NBA restart in Orlando.

Queen (6-6, 190) spent the past two collegiate seasons at New Mexico State. As a senior, he earned All-WAC Second Team honors while averaging 13.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 2.0 3-pointers made on 38.7% shooting. The Aggies won their final 19 games to finish with a 25-6 mark.

Thomas (6-5, 185) was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2019-20 after averaging 21.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals. He also picked up all-GLVC First Team and All-Defensive Team honors for the third straight season. Thomas averaged 2.7 3-pointers made on 41.7% shooting in his final season with the Bulldogs.

Rockets bring back Gerald Green

The Houston Rockets today signed free agent guard/forward Gerald Green.

Green’s contract is reportedly just a non-guaranteed, one-year deal.

Green (6-6, 205) suffered a left foot injury in a preseason game for the Rockets on Oct. 10, 2019 and did not appear in a game last season prior to being acquired via trade by Denver on Feb. 5, 2020.

From the time Green previously signed with Houston on Dec. 28, 2017 through the end of the 2018-19 season, he had the most 3-pointers made (255) of any reserve in the NBA. Over that span, he appeared in 114 games for the Rockets while averaging 10.3 points and 2.3 3-pointers made in 21.1 minutes per game.

Dating back to 2011-12, Green is one of six players with at least 450 games played to have averaged at least 10.0 points in fewer than 22.0 minutes per game. The Houston native was originally the 18th overall pick by Boston in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Rockets hire John Lucas, Jeff Hornacek, Will Weaver, Rick Higgins, and DeSagana Diop as assistant coaches

The Houston Rockets today announced John Lucas, Jeff Hornacek, Will Weaver, Rick Higgins, and DeSagana Diop [sa-GAH-na JOP] will join head coach Stephen Silas’ staff as assistant coaches.

Lucas, who was the first overall pick by Houston in the 1976 NBA Draft, re-joined the Rockets organization as their Director of Player Development prior to the 2016-17 season. He was head coach of San Antonio and Philadelphia for stretches during the 1990’s and for Cleveland in 2001-02 and 2002-03. Lucas is widely respected throughout the sports community for his ability as a mentor and has helped numerous athletes develop professionally and personally.

Hornacek was a key member of the Utah Jazz during the mid-to-late 1990’s and for his career, shot 49.6% from the floor, 40.3% from 3-point range, and 87.7% from the foul line. He joined the Jazz as a shooting coach in 2007 and became an assistant coach in 2010-11. Hornacek was head coach of Phoenix for two and a half seasons from 2013-16 and for two seasons with New York from 2016-18. Rockets forward P.J. Tucker played for Hornacek during his time with the Suns.

Weaver joins the Rockets after guiding the Sydney Kings of the NBL in Australia to the best record in the league and the championship game in his first season as head coach. In 2018-19, he was named NBA G League Coach of the Year after leading the Long Island Nets to the championship game. Weaver began his NBA career as the video coordinator for Philadelphia in 2013-14 before transitioning to the role of special assistant to the head coach for two seasons, followed by two seasons in that capacity for Brooklyn.

Higgins spent the past two seasons with Orlando as associate coach/player development. Prior to joining the Magic, he was with Charlotte for eight seasons, serving as a basketball operations assistant, video scout and coaching associate/video coordinator. Higgins played collegiately for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. His father, Rod, played in the NBA for 13 seasons and is currently the vice president of basketball operations for the Atlanta Hawks.

Diop was the eighth overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft and was a starter for Dallas during its run to the Finals in 2006. Following a 12-season career, he joined the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League as a player development coach in 2014-15 before being promoted to assistant coach the following season. Diop spent the past four seasons as a coaching associate on Quin Snyder’s staff in Utah.

Rockets sign Bruno Caboclo, Sterling Brown, Jae’Sean Tate and Mason Jones

The Houston Rockets have re-signed forward Bruno Caboclo in addition to signing a trio of free agents in guard Sterling Brown, guard Mason Jones, and forward Jae’Sean Tate. Jones was signed to a two-way contract.

Caboclo (6-9, 218) was originally acquired by Houston via trade from Memphis on Feb. 6, 2020 and appeared in eight games for the Rockets over the remainder of the season. The Brazilian native was the 20th overall pick by Toronto in the 2014 NBA Draft and has appeared in 99 career games. In 2018-19, Caboclo averaged career-highs of 8.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists for the Grizzlies.

Brown (6-5, 219) was the 46th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2017 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to Milwaukee. He played 20-plus minutes (rounded) 40 times over the past two seasons while averaging 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 3-pointers made in those games. Brown finished his collegiate career with the most wins of any player in SMU history and spent his first two and a half seasons playing for Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown.

Jones (6-5, 200) was an early entry candidate for the 2020 NBA Draft following his junior season at Arkansas. He was named the 2019-20 SEC Co-Player of the Year by media and led the nation in both free throws made (233) and attempted (282) while finishing eighth in scoring (22.0 ppg). His brother, Matt, played at Duke and in the G League while his sister, Jordan, played at Texas A&M and was selected in the 2016 WNBA Draft.

Tate (6-4, 230) was eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft following his senior season at Ohio State. He spent last season with the Sydney Kings of the Australian National Basketball League and helped the team reach the Finals while earning All-NBL First Team honors. In 2018-19, Tate played for the Antwerp Giants in the Belgian Pro Basketball League and was selected as one of the five best offensive players.

Kings trade KJ Martin Jr’s draft rights to Rockets

The Houston Rockets have acquired the rights to rookie guard KJ Martin Jr. in a trade with the Sacramento Kings in exchange for cash considerations and a future L.A. Lakers second round pick attained via trade with Detroit.

The 19-year-old is the son of Kenyon Martin, who was the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. Martin Jr. attended Sierra Canyon School in California, where he was teammates with Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cassius Stanley, who was selected by Indiana with the 54th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Per the Houston Chronicle, KJ had this to say: “Being around it and seeing it all my life, now I’m in the situation my dad was in a way, I’m just very excited,” Martin said. “I feel like it made me a better player. People ask, ‘Is it harder for you because of your dad?” I kind of take it as an advantage. A lot of kids don’t see that type of stuff and be around NBA guys and see how they work. I took all that in and put it to use for myself. It paid off.”

Martin (6-6, 215) was the 52nd overall pick by the Kings in the 2020 NBA Draft. He spent last season with IMG Academy’s post-graduate team, which posted a 29-3 record, and averaged 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 69.1% from inside-the-arc.

More from the Chronicle: “The league is crowded with second generation players Devin Booker (Melvin,) Jalen Brunson (Rick,) Bol Bol (Manute,) Amir Coffey (Rick,) Steph and Seth Curry (Del,) Jae Crowder (Corey,) Ed Davis (Terry,) Darius Garland (Winston,) Jerami Grant (Harvey,) Al Horford (Tito,) Jaren Jackson Jr., Kevin Love (Stan,) Wesley Matthews (Wes,) Larry Nance Jr., Jabari Parker (Sonny,) Gary Payton II, Austin Rivers (Doc,) Glenn Robinson III, Domantas Sabonis (Arvydas,) Garrett Temple (Hollis,) Klay Thompson (Mychal,) Gary Trent Jr., Andrew Wiggins (Mitchell,) and Justise Winslow (Ricky.)”

Rockets trade Trevor Ariza to Pistons for Christian Wood

The Houston Rockets yesterday acquired free agent forward/center Christian Wood from Detroit as part of a sign-and-trade.

The Rockets traded forward Trevor Ariza, the rights to Isaiah Stewart (16th pick in 2020 NBA Draft), a future Houston second round pick, and cash considerations to the Pistons in exchange for Wood, a future Detroit first round pick, and a future L.A. Lakers second round pick.

Ariza, the rights to Stewart, and a future Portland first round pick were acquired from the Blazers in exchange for forward Robert Covington on Nov. 22, 2020.

Wood (6-10, 223) was eligible for the 2015 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at UNLV. The 25-year-old finished eighth in voting for the Most Improved Player award in 2019-20 while averaging 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 62 games for Detroit.

Over his final 22 games played last season, Wood averaged 19.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg while shooting 56.0% from the floor, 40.3% from 3-point range, and 77.4% from the foul line. For the season, he joined Enes Kanter (2016-17) as the only players in league history to have averaged at least 13.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg in fewer than 22.0 mpg in a single season.

Wood spent most of 2018-19 assigned to the Bucks G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd and ranked second in the league in scoring with 29.3 ppg and third in rebounding with 14.0 rpg. In 123 career G League games, Woods averaged 22.6 ppg, 10.9 rpg, and 1.8 bpg.