Silas on Rockets' rare string of victories: 'We have a group that wants to do the right things'

The Houston Rockets, owners of the worst record in the National Basketball Association (NBA) so far this season, completed a weekend road sweep of bitter division and intrastate rival San Antonio. 

Second-year guard Jalen Green dropped 31 points to help the Rockets throttle the Spurs 142-110 in what was a battle between teams aiming for the services of rising French star Victor Wembanyama in the June draft on Sunday, per an ESPN report that was run by Houston ABC affiliate KTRK.

With about a month left before they pack it up for the third straight season, the Rockets occupy the 15th and last spot in the Western Conference, claiming a lowly 15-49 mark.

Sunday’s win and the 122-110 victory on Saturday were the third time in the campaign in which Houston strung together two wins in a row.

According to ESPN, the Rockets lost 11 straight as of Friday.

Kevin Porter Jr., Green’s partner in the backcourt, contributed a season-high 13 points in his third game back from a toe injury, the report said.

Rockets head coach Stephen Silas praised his squad for their unselfishness.

"We have a group that wants to do the right things,” Silas said, ESPN reported. “We're just young, which gets in our way sometimes."

Sports Illustrated (SI) reported that the Rockets’ frontcourt of second-year sensation Alperen Şengün, rookie Tari Eason and Jae'Sean Tate combined for 47 points against the Spurs, who are a victory better than Houston in the standings at 16-49.

Eason, a 2022 first-rounder the Rockets took from Louisiana State University (LSU), was the team’s leading scorer in the Saturday contest with 20 points.

After the Rockets game, another Houston team claimed victory over a San Antonio squad on Sunday.

The Houston Roughnecks defeated the San Antonio Brahmas in their first XFL meeting 22-13 to maintain a perfect winning streak that goes back to just before the COVID-19 pandemic.