After racing out to an 18-point lead in the first half, the Rockets collapsed in the second half of Wednesday's 110-105 home loss (box score) to Charlotte at Toyota Center. It was the first game of the NBA's 2024-25 regular season for both teams.
The Hornets (21-61) were 20 games worse than the Rockets (41-41) last season, and Charlotte played the second half without two of their more established starters in Brandon Miller and Mark Williams, who were both lost due to injury.
Yet, the Rockets were outscored by 21 points over the final 24-plus minutes of Wednesday's game. LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 34 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds, while Tre Mann added 24 points off the bench. Both guards shot 50% from the field.
Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 25 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals, though he did much of that damage in the first half and was limited in the second half by Grant Williams and a smaller Charlotte lineup. Jalen Green scored a team-high 28 points for Houston, though he made just 9-of-23 shots (39.1%) and 5-of-15 from 3-point range (33.3%).
"Fred is getting wide open looks," head coach Ime Udoka said of Fred VanVleet, who went through his own shooting struggles. "I don't think he's going to go 2-for-11 that often or 4-for-18, so that stands out. And Jalen, even the 5-for-15, the wide open looks... you make two or three more of those, and they adjust some. You want guys to stay confident and take those shots."
"I was just missing shots today [that] normally I'm not missing," said Sengun, who shot 10-of-22 from the field (45.2%). "I wasn't my best today."
Overall, Houston shot just 38-of-103 overall (36.9%), 13-of-43 from 3-point range (30.2%), and they were out-rebounded by a commanding 56-43 margin.
"We let go of the rope in the second half," Udoka said. "Shots aren't always going to fall, but you can still rely on your defense and continue to play the right way and do the little things, like we did in the first half. Offensive rebounds, and keep them off the glass. It kind of flipped in the second half, they dominated us on the boards, and we didn't guard."
Houston resumes its 2024-25 schedule on Friday versus Memphis, with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. Central in another home game from Toyota Center. Veteran center Steven Adams didn't play Wednesday due to a nagging left calf injury, and his status for Friday's game is unknown.
More: As chemistry builds, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard embraces NBA regular-season debut