Rockets vs. Spurs Takeaways: No Urgency, Lack Of Readiness, Fernando's Absence

HOUSTON — For the first time all season, the Houston Rockets (7-18) came into a game as favorites over their opponents. But by the end of the final buzzer, the Rockets recorded a 118-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs (7-18) Thursday night. 

Here are three takeaways from the Rockets' frustrating loss inside the AT&T Center.

Readiness:

Houston's urgency and attention to detail plagued the team for 48 minutes. But the Rockets' energy and effort were off from the start.

"Our readiness for this game wasn't what it should have been," Silas said. "When you are a step late or not filling in gaps, just doing all of the things that are important to playing good defense, then you are going to lose — and that's what happened."

The Rockets traded baskets with the Spurs early in the first quarter. Although they began the night shooting 7-11 from the field, it was clear from the opening tip Houston was a step behind San Antonio. 

The Rockets weren't ready to defend the Spurs' fast-paced offense. Their lackluster play on the defensive end led to the Spurs beginning the night shooting 8-10 from the floor.  

The Spurs found an offensive rhythm early that was sustainable for 48 minutes. Keldon Johnson was able to get things going early. He scored 10 points during the first quarter and finished the night with 32 on 12-of-21 shooting. 

"Coming into this game, for us to be a step slow was disappointing to me," Silas said. "They were taking us off the dribble in one-on-one situations. Kicking it to shooters. It was disappointing that we were not in the right spots and giving the right effort."

Missing Bruno Fernando:

Everything that led the Rockets to pull off an unlikely win over the 76ers three nights ago did not emerge in San Antonio, including Bruno Fernando. Houston's backup center was out due to a non-COVID illness, and the Rockets felt his absence.

Once the Spurs began to convert easy baskets from the restricted area, the Rockets did not have Fernando's defense to limit San Antonio's points in the paint. The absence of Fernando also created a void of energy and aggression that neither one of Houston's centers could fill.

The Rockets allowed the Spurs to score 60 points in the paint after giving up just 40 to the 76ers.

"Bruno brings a ton of energy with his role and rim protection," Silas said. 'We missed some of that tonight for sure."

Best performance: 

Jabari Smith Jr. tried to keep the Rockets afloat until the night got out of hand late in the third quarter. He scored a career-best 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, 4-of-7 from behind the arc.

While his teammates struggled, Smith appeared to be the only player who showed signs of aggression.

Worst performance: 

The Rockets had little to no production from their bench unit, and K.J. Martin's play was a reason. Martin finished a minus-12 in 21 minutes. He recorded four rebounds and three points.

Final Words: 

"We could have played a lot better, including me. We just did not have any energy." — Jalen Green

You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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