The Houston Rockets had dropped six of nine games with veteran guard Fred VanVleet absent from their lineup before they summoned some of the grit and determination that highlighted the early part of their season down the stretch of a white-knuckle win.

Houston kicked off a three-game homestand with a 100-97 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, despite VanVleet (ankle) missing his 10th consecutive game. VanVleet is scheduled to sit again on Wednesday when the Rockets host the San Antonio Spurs in the second game of a back-to-back for both teams.

After struggling to contain the Bucks through the opening three quarters, the Rockets buckled down in the fourth and limited Milwaukee to 3-of-18 shooting while forcing seven turnovers. The Bucks missed seven of eight 3-pointers and scored five of their 12 points from the free-throw line as Houston mustered the defensive intensity necessary to overcome its shooting woes and lack of ball security. The Rockets committed six turnovers in the final frame.

Another hallmark of the Rockets’ first-half run up the Western Conference standings was their rebounding might, and that aspect of their game made an appearance on Tuesday.

Houston produced a 53-37 rebounding margin with Alperen Sengun grabbing a game-high 11 boards. Amen Thompson secured nine rebounds while Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr, corralled eight apiece to help stabilize the Rockets on both ends of the court.

By getting back to what they did well over a lengthy stretch in the first half of the season, the Rockets were able to overcome the absence of their starting point guard. Maintaining that level of play and forging some consistency would bode well as Houston enters the stretch run.

“I think the success we had early, we got a little content at times,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “We’re not doing the things obviously that we were doing early in the season as far as an effort and physicality standpoint.

“The growth is what I’m talking about. Some of those guys are three or four years in the league and we want to see steps taken as far as not making the same mistakes and learning and growing from experiences. And it’s not just our young guys; we have veterans making the same mistakes as well.”

Following their 109-103 road loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, the Spurs dropped to 1-3 since the All-Star break and the announcement that Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the season following the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

One highlight despite the downturn of the Spurs’ hopes for this season was veteran Harrison Barnes posting 15 points and five rebounds while participating in his 278th consecutive game.

“It’s a long season,” Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson said. “There are a lot of circumstances and reasons to not feel up at times to play a game or be ready to compete or fight through, whatever the adversity or circumstances may be. And for someone who probably had a few times to say ‘maybe not tonight,’ he did, so he deserves credit for that.”

–Field Level Media