MILWAUKEE (Azat TV) – Fred VanVleet scored 24 points and Amen Thompson added 23 on Wednesday night, lifting the Houston Rockets to a 5-0 start with a 132-100 blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks reported by WMTV15 News. Playing without their starting center and leading scorer Alperen Sengun, who sat out due to low back soreness, the Rockets relied heavily on their backcourt to maintain their unblemished record early in the season.
VanVleet, returning from a torn ACL that forced him to miss all of last season, shot 7 of 14 from the field, including 4 of 9 from beyond the arc. He also contributed 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Thompson anchored the offense by hitting 10 of 16 shots, finishing with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal as the Rockets shot 54.8% overall from the floor.
Dominant Second Quarter Secures Control
The game broke open in the second period, where Houston outscored Milwaukee 34-14 to build a commanding 57-35 halftime lead. The Rockets opened the quarter with an 8-0 run to pull ahead 31-21, and Clint Capela later capped a scoring burst with a tip-in that extended the margin to 49-30.
Milwaukee struggled significantly from long range during the opening half, converting just 4 of 24 attempts from beyond the arc. Tyler Herro led the Bucks with 23 points, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. chipped in 19 points, but Milwaukee dropped to a 1-4 record on the season.
Roster Depth and Upcoming Matchups
Beyond Sengun’s absence, the Rockets played without center Steven Adams, who nursed a right calf strain, and guard Marcus Smart, who missed his third consecutive game due to a left forearm strain. Despite the depleted rotation, Kevin Durant added 18 points on just nine field goal attempts, while Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed 16 points in 15 minutes off the bench.
Looking ahead, the undefeated Rockets travel to face Dallas on Friday in NBA Cup play, while the Milwaukee Bucks return home to host Cleveland on Saturday.