Armoni Brooks scores career-high 14 for Rockets, hits four 3-pointers

With veteran guards Sterling Brown and DJ Augustin both unavailable due to new injuries, recent signing Armoni Brooks took advantage of a sudden opportunity with the Rockets by scoring 14 points in just 14 minutes. Houston still lost Monday’s game in Phoenix, 126-120 (recap), but it was a relatively encouraging showing versus a squad with the second-best record in the Western Conference on the season.

Monday’s showing represents a career-high scoring total for the second-year pro, who connected on 4-of-5 shots (80%) from 3-point range. “That was awesome to see,” head coach Stephen Silas said of Brooks. “We had him in in the fourth quarter of a tight game, and he was stepping up and making shots. That was great. It was something really cool to see.”

Brooks finished the game in Houston’s closing lineup alongside rotation regulars such as John Wall, Kevin Porter Jr., and Christian Wood. Prior to Monday, he had yet to score in an NBA game and was primarily known for his strong performances as a shooter in the G League.

“I think my ‘Oh, wow’ moment was just checking in the game, and seeing Chris Paul come into the game,” Brooks said postgame. “And it was kind of like, ‘Wow, like, this is Chris Paul in front of me.'”

Houston returns to action on Wednesday at home versus Indiana, and Brooks appears to be making a case for more minutes.

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