With veteran point guard Fred VanVleet playing for just the second time since an ankle injury sidelined him for 16 of the previous 17 games, the Houston Rockets exercised some caution Wednesday relative to the workload they heaped upon him.
One silver lining of VanVleet’s absence has been fourth-year guard Jalen Green’s ability to help pilot the offense. The Rockets will continue to lean on both Green and VanVleet when they continue a six-game homestand Friday against the Dallas Mavericks.
In the Rockets’ 111-104 win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, Green paired a game-high 29 points with four assists while committing only two turnovers. VanVleet was limited to 28 minutes and scored 10 points with four assists and four steals as Houston won its fourth consecutive game.
Green has filled a sizeable void of late, not only with VanVleet sidelined but also with Amen Thompson (ankle) and Reed Sheppard (thumb) on the shelf.
Thompson, a second-year wing, assumed some of the lead guard duties with VanVleet hobbled, until he came away with his own ankle injury on March 8. Sheppard scored a career-high 25 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder five days earlier when the Rockets sat four starters, but he broke his thumb on March 6 and will miss the next four weeks of his rookie season.
With so many primary ball-handlers unavailable, Green was pushed into a dual role in leading the Rockets in scoring while also facilitating and getting others involved in half-court sets.
“He’s taking what they’re giving him,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “He’s making the right reads, getting off the ball and sharing it, and obviously in attack mode as well. With Amen out, Reed out and Fred out until (Wednesday), he’s been having the ball in his hands a lot more and has been basically a backup point guard. Once our guys go out, he’s done an excellent job.”
The short-handed Mavericks were a defensive sieve in their 126-116 road loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Dallas allowed the Spurs to shoot 53.2 percent and surrendered 66 points in the paint while forcing only eight turnovers over the final three periods of the game.
The Mavericks have dropped six of their last seven games. Their roster has been gutted by injuries, particularly in the frontcourt where big men Anthony Davis (adductor), Daniel Gafford (knee) and Dereck Lively II (ankle) remain sidelined. Dallas struggled to contain dribble penetration against the Spurs, and with zero rim protection available, the Mavericks have scuffled defensively.
Those shortcomings could be magnified against the Rockets, who have ample options at the rim, even with Thompson sidelined. Dallas can ill afford a repeat of their showing against the Spurs.
“They attacked everybody,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “They just put their head down and drove it. Rim protection is limited right now. We just have to do a better job. …It was everyone getting attacked off the dribble. As a group, we’ve got to be better and we will.
“Houston is really good at driving the ball, too, so this will be a great test.”
Dallas guard Brandon Williams had 19 points and six assists off the bench against the Spurs, two games after going for a career-high 31 in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
