Rockets Shouldn’t Hang Heads About Opening Loss

Alperen Sengun strutted his stuff, delivering 39 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and what was likely the best player on the floor for most of the game. Kevin Durant, despite same late-game stagnation, still showed plenty of what’s made him a future hall-of-famer. And the team’s double-big lineups were especially potent on the glass.

Despite a myriad of good things happening, the Rockets have still started the season 0-1.

But there’s plenty of reason for optimism regarding the game, and there should be little head-hanging on Houston’s end.

Is losing to a team sans an All-NBA player on Opening Night ideal? Of course not. But there’s no reason to think the Rockets are currently a finished product.

The team ground out offense against what is likely to be the best defense in basketball again, despite little chemistry, continuity, and not to mention a starting point guard. All things considered, 124 points through six frames four double-digit scoring performances is a great building block for the future.

Additionally, the Thunder are one of only two teams equipped to truly deal with double-big lineups, having rising star Chet Holmgren, as well as interior force Isaiah Hartenstein. While OKC is currently the standard, it stands to reason that Rockets’ lineup is going to be deadly against the rest of the league.

Even accounting for the bad on Opening Night, there was plenty of good to glean. Sengun seems to have taken a step toward true superstardom offensively. Rising star Amen Thompson looked improved as well, despite a late-game injury. The team's defense held a good scoring team down for the most of the game, and it took late-game heroics from the reigning MVP just for OKC to walk out of their own gym with a one-point win.

All in all, it was a successful debut for the new-look Rockets, though they certainly wish they could have just a few plays back.

If hanging in against the best team in the league was any indication, it seems like the Rockets will continue to be looked at as a legitimate contender in a tough Western Conference.

Houston will look to rebound from loss one on an Eastern Conference trip, taking on the Pistons, Nets, Raptors and Celtics in succession.