New York scored 37 points off 25 Houston turnovers in Saturday’s matchup, leading to a 108-88 victory (box score) for the visitors in Toyota Center’s annual New Year’s Eve matchup. The Knicks (19-18) snapped their five-game losing streak, while the Rockets (10-26) enter 2023 having lost eight of their most recent nine games.
“There’s no improvement,” veteran guard Eric Gordon said postgame from a frustrated home locker room. Gordon had 12 points and 3 assists in 27 minutes on 5-of-10 shooting and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%), though he did turn the ball over four times.
“Same old thing all year,” Gordon elaborated. We have a small margin for error. … It’s a lot of things. It’s mindset. You got to play for one another. Do what’s right by your teammates. If you do that, it’d be more fun. You give yourself a better chance to win.”
Veteran forward Julius Randle led the Knicks, who turned the ball over only 10 times, with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists on 9-of-20 shooting (45.0% FG) and 5-of-13 from 3-point range (38.5%). Third-year guard Immanuel Quickley added 27 points and 7 assists.
Eric Gordon asked if he’s seeing the improvement he thought he’d see since the beginning of the season: “There’s no improvement.” pic.twitter.com/FjqcbZHMB7
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 1, 2023
Kevin Porter Jr. led the Rockets with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists on 7-of-12 shooting (58.3%) and 4-of-8 on 3-pointers (50.0%). Backcourt mate Jalen Green added 16 points and 3 assists, though he shot just 4-of-12 from the field (33.3%) and 3-of-8 on 3-pointers (37.5%). Porter and Green had a game-high five turnovers apiece.
Rookie forward Tari Eason grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench, and he also added three steals. However, Eason shot just 4-of-11 from the field (36.4%), mirroring a night when the Rockets shot just 37.7% collectively and 30.4% on 3-pointers. By percentage, it was Houston’s coldest night of the 2022-23 NBA season.
Alperen Sengun sat out for the Rockets with lower back pain, while Jalen Brunson was scratched for New York with right hip soreness.
Scroll on for highlights, analysis, and postgame interview reaction from Toyota Center. Houston returns to action in the same building on Monday night versus Dallas, with tipoff at 7:00 p.m. Central.
Highlights
Analysis and Interviews
FINAL: Knicks 108, Rockets 88.
The Rockets end 2022 with a 10-26 record after losing eight of their last nine games and three straight. After a great first quarter tonight, the other three were lackluster.
Kevin Porter Jr. was two assists short of a triple double.
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) January 1, 2023
#Rockets fall to the Knicks, 108-88. Houston shoots 37.7%, their 2nd lowest shooting performance of the season. Porter Jr. w/ 23p, 10r, 8a.
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) January 1, 2023
Final: Rockets 88, Knicks 108.
Rockets finished the game with 25 turnovers. Knicks' scored 37 points off those turnovers.
— Kris M Gardner (@TheHRReview) January 1, 2023
#Rockets centers +/- final before benches were cleared:
Bruno: -16 in 21 minutes
Garuba: +3 in 17 minutes
Boban: -7 in 8 minutes https://t.co/oLMvwrWKuN
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) January 1, 2023
Rockets lose to the Knicks 108-88 as they end 2022 by losing 8-of-9. They shot 30.5 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from behind the three-point line with 21 turnovers after the first quarter. It seemed worse
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) January 1, 2023
Stephen Silas says Alperen Sengun’s lower back issue is considered day-to-day. https://t.co/yOMBPDdR9O
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 1, 2023
Rockets are not a good enough half court team or defensive team to beat anyone turning the ball over 24 times.
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) January 1, 2023
Eric Gordon asked about #Rockets improvement from when the season started:
"There's no improvement." pic.twitter.com/WWB8Gf3wdI
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) January 1, 2023
Stephen Silas, Kevin Porter Jr. and Eric Gordon all bemoaned the Rockets’ turnovers in tonight’s loss to the Knicks.
Gordon, asked whether he’s seen the improvement he wanted to at the start of the season: “There’s no improvement.” Full stop.
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) January 1, 2023
Eric Gordon on the Rockets’ 25 turnovers: “Same old thing all year. We have a small margin for error..It’s a lot of things. It’s mindset. You got to play for one another. Do what’s right by your teammates. If you do that it’d be more fun. You give yourself a better chance to win” pic.twitter.com/zpcdTKx45S
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 1, 2023
Eric Gordon: “We don’t have the type of team where we can ISO or do this and or do that, we gotta do what’s best for one another.” pic.twitter.com/Tgn1jtwatK
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) January 1, 2023
More Silas: "I hate, I hate, hate, hate saying it's a young guy thing, young team thing and all that, but at some level it is." https://t.co/UeSTZd4imX
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) January 1, 2023
Rockets turnover rate last season: 16.2 percent
Rockets turnover rate this season: 17.2 percent— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) January 1, 2023
#Rockets lose to the Knicks 108-88
KPJ & Silas on the loss pic.twitter.com/J3Nu6toySW
— AT&T SportsNet™ | SW (@ATTSportsNetSW) January 1, 2023
