Rockets lose NBA Emirates Cup game in furious fashion

The Houston Rockets can't win every game. As strong as they've been this season, they weren't going to finish the 2024-25 season with a 76-6 record.

Now, they're 15-7. The Rockets lost a disappointing contest to the Kings in NBA Cup action on Tuesday.

It was a difficult watch.

This game was mired in controversy. Rockets fans will be quick to point to officiating as the reason for the loss. Even Ime Udoka would seemingly concur.

Is that what happened here?

Rockets beat themselves

It didn't help. Down the stretch, Domantas Sabonis put his MMA skills to the test against Alperen Sengun, and the refs let it happen.

That led to a late-game ejection for the Rockets star, who was joined by his head coach. When Sengun and Udoka were jettisoned from the game late in the fourth quarter, it was obvious that the team was done for the night.

It's uncouth to blame a loss on officiating. The referees made mistakes in this contest. So did the Rockets.

Nobody can pin this one on Jalen Green. He had 28 points on 9/14 shooting from the field and 5/8 shooting from long-range. Green's inconsistency remains maddening - just when you've got him in the trade machine, he goes on a heater - but he is showing signs of life lately.

Alperen Sengun was his usual self, finishing with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. If anything, the infamous Terror Twins let Houston down in this game. Tari Eason had 15 points, but he was 5/15 from the field. Beyond missing several easy attempts at the rim, he made some erratic decisions throughout the game. Most notably, Eason was involved in an altercation with a fan.

By contrast, Thompson was practically invisible. He had 3 points on 1/5 shooting. His usual defensive acumen was on display, but one-way play is detrimental whether it's on offense or defense.

In any event, the Rockets lost this tournament game by a final score of 120-111.

What are the implications in terms of the Emirates Cup?

Rockets lost top seed in tournament

The Rockets lost the top seed in the tournament in this loss. So, they'll play the Warriors instead of the Mavericks in the Quarterfinals. That game is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11th.

Ultimately, that's inconsequential as far as the tournament goes. The Rockets should be more disappointed to add a loss to their season record in an imminently winnable game. The Warriors and Mavericks would both pose challenges in tournament play. At least the Rockets will get a preview of Golden State before the tournament game:

Their next game comes against them on December 5th.