These are my game notes. Use them for discussion, disagreement, confirmation, eye test recap, whatever.

General Thoughts:

1Q: Terrible start again. Houston came out slinging 3s, while we settled for long misses.

2Q: Took it inside to start the game and ran in transition. Played to our strengths and shrunk the score. It’s clear that we settle when Lebron sits.

3Q: Forced lots of turnovers and fed AD early and often. Recipe for success. Such a slow-paced quarter.

4Q: We get a lead, get lax, Lebron gets us lead, repeat. Feeling blessed to have Bron, but it’s not sustainable

Players:

• AD: Thank God he did the dirty work early on - kept us in the game. Despite 14 1H points, still felt underutilized. Glad we went to him early in 3Q - Sengun can’t guard him. No one on the Rockets can guard AD.

• Bron: Bron is unreal. Shot looks back back, but still gets little respect from the refs. Kept collapsing the defense, which opened up the floor for everyone else (this is what we’re missing when Bron sits). His shin is visibly still bothering him, but the fact that he’s playing through it makes me believe it’s about pain management. Side note, I’m loving the Bron v Dillon mini rivalry.

• Rui: Didn’t attack mismatch in 1Q - started doing it in 2Q and we came back. Quiet 3Q until the end. Had some big rebounds to end the game.

• AR: Seemed reluctant when Bron’s on the floor. Weirdly, Rockets dared him to shoot in 2Q. Was impressed with his shotmaking but not with his decision making. That logo 3 though.

• DLO: Off night. Had a couple of loud offensive mistakes (bounce pass to AD in traffic, missed layup).

• Prince & Wood: Off nights.

• Cam: I like that he guarded VanVleet, who’s the PG/initiator - it disrupts the flow. Cam is a defensive menace capable of guarding 1-4.