PHOTOS: Rockets game-by-game
Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni reacts after a foul was called on the team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Browse through the photos to see how the Rockets have fared in each game this season.
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PHOTOS: Rockets game-by-game
Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni reacts after a foul was called on the team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018,
... more
Photo: Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press
PHOTOS: Rockets game-by-game
Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni reacts after a foul was called on the team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Browse through the photos to see how the Rockets have fared in each game this season.
lessPHOTOS: Rockets game-by-game
Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni reacts after a foul was called on the team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018,
... morePhoto: Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press
CLEVELAND - The Rockets' confidence that their bench scoring would pick up had been largely based off the expectation that Eric Gordon would get going from the perimeter, an option unavailable to the second unit with Gordon starting on Saturday. But Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said the Rockets do need more production from the second unit, if only to take some pressure off the scorers in the starting lineup.
"Our bench has to produce a little bit more," D'Antoni said after Friday's loss. "We got to get something out of it. We're not getting a lot of production there. It puts a lot of extra strain on the guys doing it, playing a lot of minutes with our starters."
The Rockets bench went into Saturday's game averaging just 27.4 points per game, the fewest in the league, with the worst shooting percentage (37.7 percent) and worst 3-point percentage (26.8 percent) in the NBA.
After a 1 of 6 night from the 3-point line on Friday, Gordon was making 26.7 percent of his 3s. Gerald Green, who had missed most of three games with a sprained ankle, made 7 of 13 3-pointers against the Kings and the Pistons, but took just two shots in the rematch with Detroit, missing both. He had made just 29.3 percent on 3s going into Saturday's game.
Rookies Gary Clark and Isaiah Hartenstein are the only other players getting regular minutes off the bench.
"We have Eric," D'Antoni said of the expectation that the bench scoring will pick up. "We expect 20 points a game out of that. He's been a little bit off. He's still doing what he does. We have to get Gerald going. Gary Clark will get better as we go along. We got to get Nene back. We expect some scoring (off the bench.)"
Rockets guard James Harden went into Saturday's game tied for fifth in minutes played per game, averaging 36.2 minutes. Forward P.J. Tucker is 10th, averaging a career-high 35.4 minutes.
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