Three Takeaways as Houston Rockets Blast Cavaliers in Cleveland

The Rockets saw the Cavs ignite a furious second-half rally to keep the game close to the fourth quarter, but the road team simply refused to surrender their hold.

After Donovan Mitchell's trey to make it 90-88 in the final six minutes, the Rockets instantly blazed off to seal the matchup. And it's all thanks to Aaron Holiday's major late-game takeover.

Holiday saved the day for Houston, as the backup guard poured 18 points with three triples, scoring everything in the final frame. He was primarily responsible for the Rockets' pull away from the Cavaliers, as his personal eight-point run at the final five minutes lifted the team for a needed momentum

Houston Needs to Protect Their Margins

The Rockets dominated from the jump, overwhelming the Cavs for the first two quarters. They capped off the halftime with a 57-40 margin, posting as many as 22-point lead.

But the Cavaliers woke up and chose to claw their way back into the game, courtesy of a huge third-quarter play as they went for a 22-5 run to make it 74-70 heading to the last quarter.

The Rockets need to be more aggressive and careful in keeping their lead down the stretch. The Cavaliers nearly delivered an inspiring late-game comeback, but Houston can only be thankful as they were able to survive until the final buzzer.

Reed Sheppard Continues Stellar Play

Reed Sheppard continues to impress for the Rockets. After a slow season start, the Houston floor general is becoming more and more comfortable and poised in spearheading the team as a crucial piece.

Sheppard dropped 12 points, two boards and two assists, shooting 5-11 from the field across 23 minutes. Once again, he was simply tremendous off the bench in terms of his production.

As he is finally gaining that groove to perform, Houston expects nothing but the best from Sheppard to continue his stellar play.