[protected-iframe id=”840818961ee8e55144144ab12372eb6b-60970621-45855480″ info=”https://streamable.com/e/tjvw” width=”650″ height=”365″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]
There wasn’t much defense played in last night’s rag-tag game between the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings. James Harden and DeMarcus Cousins were even more brilliant than usual en route to history-making outings, but there’s a reason their efforts came in the same contest – this one was played at a frenetic pace with fleeting commitment on the defensive side of the ball.
Note the “fleeting” distinction. Some defense was indeed performed last night, and a lot of it by a single player on one awesome possession.
Terrence Jones is one of the most underrated rim-protectors in basketball. He’s a springy, thick 6’9 with a 7’2 wingspan, and is comfortable blocking shots with both hands. The Kentucky product is a rare physical package, basically, and the statistics prove it: Opponents shoot just 46.1 percent against him at the rim, the league’s 12th-best mark.
Carl Landry just didn’t have much of a chance here, and clearly didn’t know it – that’s why he challenged Jones twice after getting his previous shot packed. Jones notched three of his career-best seven(!) blocks on this sequence, doing so in under four seconds. He added 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assist in his team’s 115-111 victory.
We absolutely love what Jones brings to the table for the Rockets on both ends of the floor. Now that he and Dwight Howard are finally healthy at the same time, the possibility exists that we’re only beginning to see the best of Kevin McHale’s squad – a scary thought for the rest of the Western Conference.
[Streamable via r/nba]
