Rockets finally ushered in the third victory of the new season, and defeated Doncic's 101-92 away Mavericks . The biggest contributor to the team's victory in this game was not Green and Porter Jr. who scored 17 points, nor Shin Kyung, who scored 14 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks, but from the substitute inside Garuba. The Spanish boy, who is known as the Rockets' "Dream Chasing Green", played 21 minutes and 47 seconds in the game, shooting 5 of 5 shots, including 2 of 2 three-pointers, and efficiently sent 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks with a 100% shooting percentage. The plus or minus value of the game +16, tied for the team's highest level with Porter Jr., and scored a career high.
The reason why Garuba is the biggest contributor to the Rockets' victory is because he stood up at the most dangerous time of the team. The two teams tied in the second half of the second quarter, and the Rockets failed to attack for three consecutive rounds, while the Mavericks took the opportunity to make a 9-0 three-pointer. Seeing the situation taking a sharp turn, Silas replaced Garuba. The guy first contributed rebounds and blocks on the defensive end, and then made two open three-pointers on the offensive end, helping the team to a 15-0 climax. The Rockets entered the second half with a 6-point advantage.
It can be seen from the game that although Garuba is limited in height, his strong body, flexible movement and proud arm span give him a huge advantage at the basket, which also makes up for the hardness that Shin Kyung lacks at present. The Mavericks' team only made 31 of 102 shots today. Garuba's enthusiasm and toughness effectively drove the whole team, and 9 rebounds and 3 blocks also became an indelible nightmare for the Mavericks' inside.
Usman Garuba , born on March 9, 2002, is 2.03 meters tall and has a wingspan of 2.18 meters, has excellent physical fitness and good mobility. His technical characteristics are very similar to those of Green in the Warriors . He was picked up by the Rockets in the 23rd pick in the first round last year. Due to injuries and the tactical arrangement of Silas , he has never had the opportunity to show his strength. The Turkey center Shin Kyung, who is the same team, took the lead in standing out with his more solid offensive skills, and the same rookie Jaylen Green performed well, which also made him once bear the reputation of being a parallel player.
But Garuba did not accept his fate. He followed the coaching staff's arrangements to strengthen physical confrontation, and also developed a precise three-pointer. Coupled with his already good support and defensive ability, this made him more three-dimensional on both offense and defense. This summer's European Championship performed well, helping the Spanish team win the championship again, and also made the Rockets look forward to him again.
Currently, only three real inside players of Houston, Shin Kyung, Fernando and Garuba, but the first two are either not good at defense and positioning, or have a relatively single offensive method. Garuba just makes up for their shortcomings and also gives the team another choice at critical moments. If you can continue to perform efficiently on both offense and defense, growing into the next dream is really no longer a dream.
Looking back now, Stone's talent show vision is indeed good. Although Garuba broke out a little late, fortunately she was only 20 years old and her potential is gradually being realized. This kind of inside line with defense, support and three-pointers is a scarce product in the league. The Rockets have really found the treasure.
