:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/24199785/452540531.0.jpg)
Some nights, it just goes your way. The Rockets hit everything they looked at, and the starters sat on the bench for the entire fourth quarter as the Rockets rolled over the Nets, winning 114-95. Chandler Parsons hit all seven shots he took, including six threes, and the rest of the roster put together a balanced effort in a game the Rockets were in control of from the opening tip.
The Nets were without Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, and Jason Terry, and they certainly missed them as they were overmatched on both ends of the floor. Their replacements, did not fare so well. Jeremy Lin's replacement, Aaron Brooks, had some more luck, hitting double figures yet again after being inserted into the rotation.
Let's dig a bit deeper into this one.
Parsons fills it up
Chandler Parsons struggled quite a bit with his shot to start off this season, but after a rough stretch, he has rebounded in a big way. In his first nine games, Parsons hit 8-36 from three point distance. Since then, he's been 18-33, good for 53% (thanks to clutchfans for that stat).
With his six made threes on the night, Parsons tied for second among Rockets all time on three point makes without a miss. He trails only Aaron Brooks in that category. His sixth make, however, was the one that was the most impressive. He likely knew that he had yet to miss, yet he continued to fire, taking one from three or four feet outside of the arc, drilling it home on his trademarked line drive shot, and pushing the Rockets lead to 28.
Parsons is going to be paid big at some point over the next two years, and you have to hope it's by the Rockets. With Jeremy Lin out of the lineup and Harden still a bit slowed by his foot injury, Parsons took charge and helped lead the Rockets to victory.
Beverley continues to struggle
One of the more troubling trends over the last few weeks has been Patrick Beverley's inconsistency on the offensive end. Against a team that lacks a true point guard with Deron Williams out, Beverley was still unable to get his offense going, scoring just 5 points on 2-7 shooting and generally seeming out of the action on that side of the ball.
He continues to play excellent defense and as long as the Rockets continue winning they're not going to worry, but they would almost certainly like Beverley to make more of a mark on the offensive end. If he cannot, it'll make Jeremy Lin's absence all the more difficult to stomach.
Shoot the ball!
The Rockets are a team that prides themselves on their efficiency, and three point shots are some of the most efficient shots in basketball. Still, it was jarring to see them shoot them so often on Friday night. Not only did the Rockets take a lot of threes (32 attempts on the game), but they shot them so indiscriminately that you never knew when the next one would go up.
I mentioned Chandler Parsons' ridiculous shot from what seemed like 30 feet late in the third quarter, but Francisco Garcia took a few faceup threes with a man in his face and even Terrence Jones and D-Mo got in on the act. If the Rockets can keep making them, there's no reason not to take them, but it was wild to see such a three point shooting display.
