The Houston Rockets appeared before the Detroit Pistons with the difficult task of victory. While that wasn’t too far from what has been the norm this season, the Texans weren’t going to have Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr or Alperen Sengun. What does your best players mean in other words. But at times like this, when both teams are looking at the Draft and the results are relevant, there is always room for surprises and this is what happened. The Rockets got the win in epic fashion, managing to beat the Pistons in the final moments via offensive rebounding and so prevail with 117 to 114.
In this meeting, unlike others, there was one name that was fundamental. It was with so many victims and absences Usman Garuba who received the opportunity to be more important and he from Azuqueca de Henares did not miss the moment.
The former Real Madrid man had one of his best games of the season, arguably his best, against the Pistons. Not only did he put up some great numbers, but they made a real and noticeable impact for Houston, which was evident from the moment he stepped on the court. in their first 9 minutes of playing on the floor, the Rockets led their opponents 15 pointssmall. In summary, from being down 15 in the first quarter to tying it midway through the second when the Us sat back.
Garuba was the lifeblood of the Texans’ second unit with almost no need to decide the score. With winning actions, effort and dedication, the Spaniard has shown that he deserves a place in the team’s rotation, especially after not playing in the last two games and only coming out in the last one he stepped on. The player combined the positions of four and five without much problem, helping to open the court and contribute to the rebound, where he is among the best on the team in terms of efficiency.
But the best was yet to come, because late in the game and with the Rockets down, Garuba hit two 3-pointers without a miss to reduce the difference to a minimum and thus lead his team to victory.
USMAN GARUBA!!!!!!@Usmangaruba with 2 Key 3 under the stretch as the #Rockets beat Detroit 117-114@HoustonRockets on AT&T SportsNet pic.twitter.com/IcB6RNRozQ
— AT&T SportsNet™ | SW (@ATTSportsNetSW) January 29, 2023
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A final touch to a thrilling match where, once again, they didn’t need to score to be significant, although this time they did. With 8 points on 3 of 3 field goals, 6 rebounds and 1 assist in 19 minutes Usman Garuba was instrumental in the second win in four games for the Rockets.
“I had a little motivation because in the last games I didn’t have the chance to play because I was taken out of the rotation.” said a Garuba who seemed to want to send a message through the media. “But I kept working and playing it to show everyone that I can be a good player in this team, that I can develop if I play in the right situation.”
“Getting wins is very important, especially for a young team like this”continued on AT&T Sports. “But even though we are a new team, this championship will be won, with that you get everything: a better contract, sponsorships, everything. [risas]. In this championship it is important to win and we must achieve it.” hill.
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