Dillon Brooks is proving to be a perfect fit with the surging Houston Rockets, who bring a five-game winning streak into a matchup against the host Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.
Brooks matched his season high with 26 points in a 103-96 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. Brooks is averaging 13.8 points in his first season with the Rockets after spending the past six years with Memphis.
Houston will need another strong outing from Brooks against Milwaukee, which extended its winning streak to three games with a 146-114 rout of the lowly Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
The Bucks led by as many as 34 against Detroit, which lost its 23rd straight game. The lopsided result allowed Milwaukee coach Adrian Griffin to rest stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard for all of the fourth quarter.
“We handled business,” Griffin said. “And that’s what you want to do in these games. You gotta come in and put the energy and effort into the game, and I thought we did that.”
Milwaukee is 13-2 on its home court this season.
The Bucks are facing a surprising Houston squad that has won two in a row on the road after losing its first eight road games but is 11-1 at home. Brooks led the Rockets to the victory over Memphis by taking over in the second half and drilling a key 3-pointer with 40 seconds remaining.
“(Brooks) had 24 of his 26 after the half,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “He stepped it up offensively. He hit a big shot late, but his aggressiveness and scoring was needed in the second half. It felt like the group galvanized around him.”
Fred VanVleet had 16 points and eight assists in Friday’s victory, while Alperen Sengun added 15 points. Houston outscored the Grizzlies 28-22 in the fourth quarter.
“Activity was great,” Udoka said. “Eighteen turnovers, turning our defense into offense — that’s what really got us back in the game after we were back on our heels initially. Going down 17, we clawed our way back into it. That’s a sign of growth.”
Udoka also has been pleased by the recent play of forward Jabari Smith Jr., who has at least 10 rebounds in five straight games, starting with 18 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 6.
Smith and the Rockets will be tested by Antetokounmpo, who scored a franchise-record 64 points against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
Houston also will have to contend with Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. after he scored a season-high 31 points in Saturday’s win over Detroit.
“He’s a fan-favorite for a reason; his energy is contagious,” Griffin said. “When he’s scoring the ball, when he’s on the offensive glass, those are hustle plays. …. I just love how he ignites just not the crowd, but our team.”
Milwaukee is monitoring the status of guard Malik Beasley (non-COVID illness) and forward Khris Middleton, both of whom sat out Saturday’s game. Middleton is expected to return Sunday after being given a rest day for his surgically repaired right knee.
–Field Level Media
