Despite missing both James Harden and Dwight Howard (rest), the Rockets overcame early shooting woes and rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Suns 95-92 and move to 3-0 in the preseason.
Trevor Ariza again started the game with the sort of intensity Coach McHale has preached throughout training camp, grabbing 3 offensive boards and stealing an inbound pass. Ariza's hustle offset the Rockets early struggles from behind the arc. The team went 0/12 before Nick Johnson finally hit their first three well into the second quarter.
However, the defense held tight. Tarik Black followed his impressive double-double against Memphis with a stellar night patrolling the paint, including a two-handed blocked shot that would make J.J. Watt proud. Going into the break, the Rockets led 44-40.
"It just shows that your shot isn’t always going to fall. The offense isn’t always going to work, but if you put forth the effort on the defensive end you will give yourself a chance to win and that’s what we did tonight," Ariza said.
In the third, Phoenix went on a 17-4 run thanks to a quick 7 points from Goran Dragic and 6 from Eric Bledsoe. Troy Daniels checked in and once again proved that no spot on the court is out of his range, but despite his sharpshooting, Phoenix held a 6-point lead after three.
In the fourth, Terrence Jones put up 6 of his game-high 16 points as the rally was on. Isaiah Canaan led the charge and ultimately hit the dagger free throw that put it away. Canaan filled the stat sheet with 16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists.
"It's my job to be ready when my name is called," Canaan said. "I try to always stay ready. Coach wants to see good energy on both sides and I'm going to do whatever I can to help this team win."
The Rockets head to New Orleans on Tuesday for a preseason matchup with former Rocket Omer Asik and the Pelicans.