There are two big surprises in the Rockets winning streak! Amen + Smith teamed up to score 47 points and 10 rebounds, and Jaylen Green lay down the gun.

After resting for several days, the Rockets once again ushered in a preseason game, and this time they had to fly to an away game. Uduka made no secret of his love for the twin-tower tactic, and for this reason he proposed to the management that he wanted to keep Adams. Adams' attendance rate was not very good, so Stone introduced Capela as an insurance. Stone kept his word, and he was indeed fully cooperating with Uduka.

"Houston Chronicle" mentioned before the game that Uduka has not determined the starting five for the new season, and he will experiment with the lineup in the preseason. In this game, the Rockets challenged the Pelicans. Adams started and teamed up with Sengong, and Shepard served as the substitute.

The Rockets rank among the top five players, four of whom are 2.11 meters tall, while Amen is over 2 meters tall. This lineup will have an advantage in rebounding, but it will be a test in terms of offensive space, organization and retreat.

Amen and Smith Jr. teamed up to score 47 points and 10 rebounds, and the Rockets won again.

The Rockets have two major surprises in maintaining their winning streak in the preseason. First, Amen's shooting has improved. Second, Smith Jr. plays more confidently.

Durant had no touch at the beginning, Smith Jr. stepped up to score, and Amen hit a three-pointer. After half a quarter, the Rockets still led by 4 points. The Pelicans called a timeout, and Uduka replaced Capela and Ethan to maintain the height of the lineup on the court. Amen went to the free throw line and made both free throws, and then he assisted Ethan for a layup. Ethan played very hard for the new contract. He counterattacked and scored a layup. Okogie made a steal and assisted. The Rockets played a bit wildly and called a timeout to rearrange. Amen came off the court to rest, and Uduka replaced Sheppard. Ethan dunked to stop the Pelicans. After the game came back, Sheppard made consecutive mistakes and scored. The Rockets trailed by 2 points after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Sheppard made up for it. After stealing the ball, he made a three-pointer and the Rockets took the lead. Ethan counterattacked and dunked happily. Sheppard assisted Smith Jr. to hit a three-point shot, and Ethan scored another layup. After Sengon's shot, the Rockets led by 8 points, and the Pelicans quickly timed out. Durant began to find his offensive feeling. He made a shot and provided an assist to Sengun. Durant faced tight defense and hit a fadeaway shot at the buzzer. After halftime, the Rockets only led by 1 point.

At the beginning of the second half, Amen and Smith Jr. threw in three-pointers, and Sengon assisted +2. The Pelicans continued to hit the ball, Amen counterattacked and scored a layup, Adams made a tip-in, and the Pelicans, who were 9 points behind, quickly timed out. After the game, Smith Jr. could still make a pull-up jumper, and he made two free throws for a foul. Amen also went to the free throw line and scored another two points. Sheppard also had to foul, and there was no problem with free throws. After that, he made a big block. Ethan also performed well. He blocked shots, stole, and scored, and the Rockets expanded their lead. The Pelicans worked hard to chase points, Shepard and Ethan stepped up, and the Rockets still led by 14 points after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, Uduka left opportunities to substitutes and fringe players. The Pelicans chased points like crazy, but the Rockets had the last laugh.

Amen had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, 5 of 8 shots, 9 of 9 free throws, including 2 of 3 outside shots. His three-point production increased, and his shooting percentage improved significantly. Smith Jr. had 26 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block. He made 7 of 16 shots, 4 of 10 three-pointers, and 8 of 8 free throws. Smith practiced hard during the offseason and studied with Durant. As Uduka said, he has made great progress.

Durant had 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. He played more relaxedly than when he was in the Suns.

Sengong had 8 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Uduka hoped that he could take on Fan Jordan's work, but he had to control his mistakes.

Adams has 2 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block. He is very solid. No wonder Uduka likes him.

Ethan scored 20 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals and 1 block. He finished well at the basket, but the three-point deficit (0-for-4) meant that he needs to play smarter and more rationally if he wants a big contract. Of course, the most important thing is to stay healthy.

Shepard had 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. His overall performance can only be said to be passable.

Capella had 6 points and 6 rebounds, and Okogie had 9 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

Jaylen Green, who has been traded away, is lying on his back. After watching the game between the Rockets and the Pelicans, some fans bluntly said that Jaylen Green played more smoothly without the Rockets and that he also delayed Smith's growth. It’s long past time to let Jaylen Green go.