Rockets wallop Spurs 128-106 in Houston's preseason finale

POSTED: December 17, 2020 -- 11:30 p.m. CT

HOUSTON, TX (Toyota Center) -- Christian Wood filled the stat sheet in the Houston Rockets' 128-106 preseason win over the San Antonio Spurs. Woods scored 27 points on 10 for 18 field goal shooting (2/6 threes). He also pulled down 10 rebounds; dished 2 assists; picked up 1 steal; and blocked 1 shot.

Wood produced those numbers in 23 minutes and 56 seconds.

"I mean he was great," Stephen Silas, Rockets head coach said of Wood's performance. "Shoot, he played 23 minutes and had 27 points and 10 rebounds. He played really well."

Wood displayed his skillset throughout the game. In the first quarter, he grabbed a missed shot; dribbled down the court; and, finished at the rim with a left-handed layup.

Eric Gordon sank a three-point to put Houston up 5-4 with 9:52 remaining in the first quarter. The Rockets never trailed the rest of the game.

Houston led the Spurs 33-20 after the first quarter and 60-45 at halftime. Wood scored 16 points in the opening half. James Harden was next with 15 points while Gordon scored 12 points. That trio combined to make 17 of 31 shot attempts in the first half.

The Rockets shot 70% (14 for 20) from the floor in the third quarter and limited the Spurs to 9 for 22 (40.9%) field goal shooting in the third. Houston outscored the Spurs 33-20 in the third and led 98-68 after 36 minutes.

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Eric Gordon scored 23 points in the game on 9 for 14 field goal shooting which includes 4 for 9 from three-point land. Harden finished the game with 20 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, and 5 turnovers.

"We have a lot of talent on this team," Wood said in his postgame media session. "We just gotta put it together."

Bruno Caboclo led the Rockets bench with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in 19 minutes of play.

"It's still a work in progress," Coach Silas said after the game. "We're still trying to learn each other; learn the offense; learn me. Me learn them. It looked good tonight; and, we will continue to make sure guys are moving. We're not going to be completely predictable."

The Rockets had 26 assists with 11 turnovers tonight after recording 38 assists with 36 turnovers the two games prior.

The Rockets will begin the 2020-21 NBA regular season Wednesday, December 23rd, versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, inside Toyota Center. Tip time is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

"What I told them is 'Now, it gets real. These have been preseason games.' And, we haven't had to, necessarily, buckle down at the end of a game and get big stops and all of the situations you go through in a regular season.

"The ebbs and flows of a regular season game and all that. It was good to get through these four games and kind of build something moving forward; but, it really is going to become real come next Wednesday."

NOTES: John Wall (left Achilles maintenance) and DeMarcus Cousins (right knee maintenance) did not suit up tonight.

Chris Clemons will not play this season due to a right Achilles' injury.

Gerald Green was DNP (did not play): Coach's decision.

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