Rockets Fall in Game 7, Big Offseason Looms

The Houston Rockets have been eliminated from the NBA Playoffs after losing a Game 7 at home to the Golden State Warriors.

After battling back from a 3-1 series deficit, the Rockets earned a chance to close out the Warriors at home on Sunday. It was another defensive battle between two of league’s stingiest teams. A career night from Golden State’s Buddy Hield plus a Stephen Curry fourth-quarter flurry powered the Warriors to the win, and a second-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Houston’s offense let them down, once again. The Rockets ended the game with 89 points, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Houston was trailing 82-74 with just under five minutes remaining. A 12-0 run by Golden State effectively put the game out of reach with two minutes to go. With the game already decided, the Rockets scored 15 points to close it out.

Before the late flurry, Houston was just 3-of-14 from three. Hield tripled their output by himself, going 9-of-11 from beyond the arc and finished with 33 points. Curry got off to a slow start, but ended with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Jimmy Butler contributed 20 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists while Draymond Green added 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.

Second-year guard Amen Thompson led the way for the Rockets with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Thompson was attacking the basket all night while taking on the most difficult defensive matchups. All-Star center Alperen Sengun had 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists, but shot just 9-of-23 from the field. Despite having decent overall numbers throughout the series, Sengun was largely inefficient as a scorer (45.0 FG%, 62.5 FT%).

While Curry and Hield were the main engines in Golden State’s attack, Houston’s backcourt gave them next to nothing. Fred VanVleet, who had been red-hot entering Game 7, was just 1-for-4 from three before making his final two attempts in the closing minutes. He finished the game with 17 points in 44 minutes.

In what was a fitting cap to a lousy series, Jalen Green was non-existent in Game 7 — 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3-of-8 shooting. Green led the Rockets to a win in Game 2, scoring 38 points with 8 threes. His scoring totals in the six other games: 7, 9, 8, 11, 12, and 8. On the series, Green shot 37.2 FG%, 29.5 3PT%, and 66.7 FT%. It was a disastrous first run at the postseason for the former No. 2 overall pick.

With the Rockets out, all focus now shifts toward what should be an interesting offseason. This series loss highlights their obvious need for a go-to scorer. A player who can generate offense and make difficult baskets when the game gets tight.

Houston will almost certainly inquire about Phoenix’s two stars — Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Booker seems a bit less feasible. Durant will be 37 in September. The Rockets have the draft assets and enough promising young players to craft an enticing offer for a Suns team that missed the postseason.

Monitoring the situation in Milwaukee also seems likely. If Giannis Antetokounmpo wants out, the Rockets will be one of the first teams lining up for a potential deal. Antetokounmpo is an ideal star for the Rockets’ current construction. He’s a 30 PPG scorer who won’t compromise Houston’s defensive identity.

One surprise name to watch out for is Clippers star Kawhi Leonard. Like Houston, LA lost a Game 7 over the weekend. The team could use a reset after failing to make it past the first round three years in a row. Getting multiple draft picks and players for an aging and injury-prone Leonard would help jumpstart a rebuild.

The Rockets can’t be totally blamed if they play it safe this offseason and refrain from any big moves. They went from winning 22 games in ’23, to 41 wins last year, to a 52-30 record this year and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Thompson (22), Sengun (23), Green (23), Jabari Smith Jr. (21), Tari Eason (23), Reed Sheppard (20), and Cam Whitmore (20) are not even close to their primes.

They own the rights to Phoenix’s draft pick this upcoming year, which has a 17.3-percent chance of landing in the top-4, and 3.8-percent chance of being No. 1. Adding another young talent to this group would be a major move.

Many questions need to be answered over the coming months. The Rockets will be a key player this offseason, no matter which path they choose to take.