Houston Rockets (38-22) beat Washington Wizards (16-44) 123-118 on the road on Monday, March 2.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Wizards had the better start, winning the first 30-26 to lead by 4 after one. The Rockets moved in front with a 34-21 second quarter, carrying a 9-point lead into halftime.
The Rockets won the third 34-29 to create some separation, taking a 14-point lead into the fourth. The Wizards took the fourth 38-29; the Rockets held on for a 123-118 regulation win.
What decided it
The Rockets grabbed 51.2% of their own misses, while the Wizards recovered 15.6%. The Rockets made 26.1 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 12.1 for the Wizards. In a 5-point game, the second chances kept adding up.
The Wizards did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 11.7 against 19.4. The Rockets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 103 possessions per team, the Rockets produced 119.7 points per 100 possessions to 114.9 for the Wizards.
The Wizards' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 63-15.
Who made the difference
Amen Thompson was the game's biggest individual force for HOU: 22 pts, 12 reb, 4 ast on 10-15 shooting. His Game Score of 22.3 led everyone. His team was +6 with him on the floor.
Alperen Sengun (32 pts, 13 reb, 2 ast), Amen Thompson (22 pts, 12 reb, 4 ast), and Reed Sheppard (19 pts, 7 reb, 10 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Rockets about a 78% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Houston Rockets lead 3-0.
The Rockets are now 38-22, and the Wizards are 16-44. The Rockets last five before this game: L-W-W-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.