On Monday, March 17, the Houston Rockets hosted the Philadelphia 76ers at the Toyota Center in Houston.
After the 76ers jumped out to an enormous early lead, the Rockets patiently climbed back into the game through the second half. In the final seconds of regulation, the Sixers were up, 131-128, and Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. was sent to the free throw line. Smith Jr. made the first attempt but missed the second, and Alperen Sengun tipped in the miss to tie things up and force overtime.
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After the game, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka confirmed that Smith Jr. missed the free throw intentionally
“One of the best misses I’ve ever seen,” Udoka said.
The Rockets would hold on through a competitive extra period and escape with a 144-137 victory.
Jalen Green and Smith Jr. tied to lead the Rockets in scoring, finishing with 30 each. Quentin Grimes led the 76ers with 46 points.
With the victory, the Rockets have extended their winning streak to seven games. Tonight’s matchup was the Rockets’ second and final meeting with the 76ers, following a 122-115 overtime win back in November.
Game recap
First quarter
Tari Eason came out swinging tonight for Houston, scoring the Rockets’ first 11 points by himself. Unfortunately for the Rockets, the 76ers followed suit as a team and quickly jumping out to a 23-11 lead.
Jabari Smith Jr. was the first non-Eason Rocket to score, but baskets by Quentin Grimes and Justin Edwards quickly pushed Philadelphia even further in front. After a ridiculous Philly scoring frenzy, the Sixers led the Rockets 44-28 at the end of one.
Second quarter
Eason continued to be the Rockets’ primary source of points, but his lone efforts were no match for the Sixers’ team scoring.
The Rockets threatened to make the score a little closer, but buckets from Alex Reese, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Jared Butler continued to overwhelm Houston.
At the half, the Sixers led 78-57. Eason led the Rockets in scoring with 17, while Grimes was Philadelphia’s leader with 14.
Third quarter
The second half looked to be more of the same, as the 76ers extended their lead to 25 with three-balls from Edwards and Ricky Council IV. However, the Rockets showed signs of life, as Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green began to contribute offensively.
With a 91-67 lead, it looked like Philadelphia was getting ready to run away with it for good, but Houston caught fire.
Smith Jr. scored 12 points in the third quarter alone, including a three from the left corner that made the previously unenthusiastic Rockets home crowd go berserk.
Brooks also got it going from deep, splashing three three-pointers in the period. He pumped up the crowd during a Philadelphia timeout, making it clear that Houston had fully shifted the momentum.
With under a minute left in the third, Green crossed over a defender for a left-handed layup that tied the game for the first time since it was a 9-9 ballgame in the first quarter.
The Rockets ended the quarter on a 35-11 scoring run. The teams were tied at 102 entering the final stanza.
Fourth quarter
The 76ers woke up when the fourth got underway, and they opened the period on a 10-0 scoring run, forcing a Houston timeout.
The Rockets found their mojo after the rest, with Jae’Sean Tate knocking down a three and Green adding two more.
On the other end, Philly’s Grimes and Butler combined for 18 points to keep the Sixers in front for the next several minutes of the game.
With the score 122-115, Eason committed his sixth personal foul on a reach-in, and he received a technical foul and an ejection for arguing with the call. The ordeal resulted in three total free throws for the Sixers and loud “Refs, you suck” chants from the Houston crowd. The 76ers led 125-115 with just under four minutes left.
Smith Jr. and Brooks swished threes give Houston hope. With the score 125-121, Houston’s Fred VanVleet attempted a three at the top of the key. The shot missed and there was contact by Oshae Brissett that sent VanVleet to the floor, but no foul was called. On the ensuing fast break, VanVleet pushed Brissett from behind as he attempted a layup, and the officials deemed the contact sufficient for a Flagrant 2 foul, and VanVleet was ejected.
As VanVleet exited into the locker room, the “Refs, you suck” chants rained through the arena once again.
A layup from Green made the score 131-128 with 17 seconds to play. On the following Philly possession, Grimes turned the ball over to Green. The Sixers swarmed Smith Jr. for a foul with five seconds remaining.
Jabari went to the line and swished his first attempt. He clanked the second shot of the back iron, and Alperen Sengun swooped in for the offensive board, tipping the ball in the basket for the tying points. The crowd outperformed its noise levels once again, going absolutely insane.
The Sixers missed a potential game winner on the other end, and the teams headed for overtime tied at 131.
Overtime
Sengun continued to be the hero for Houston, starting the extra period off with a physical and-one layup. On Houston’s next possession, Sengun was fouled again, but he missed both at the line. Green was able to grab a long rebound, and he swished a highly contested three-ball to extend the Rockets’ advantage to six.
Grimes hit a three on Philadelphia’s next possession, but Smith Jr. responded right away on the other end to bring Houston’s lead back to six.
After Philly brought the score back within three, Dillon Brooks was called for a reach in foul. This was his sixth foul and he was removed from the game. Once again, “Refs, you suck. Refs, you suck,” from the Houston crowd.
The Rockets kept the 76ers from getting back into the game and held on for a 144-137 win.
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