Houston's pressure took Brooklyn's preferred rhythm away before the game had time to settle, and the Rockets turned a 28–13 first quarter into a 100–83 NBA Summer League win at Cox Pavilion. Houston moved to 3–1. Brooklyn fell to 2–2, leaving the Nets outside the four-team semi-final field after their four scheduled preliminary games.
The opening period did the damage. Houston made Brooklyn work to initiate possessions, then punished the resulting empty trips with a balanced half-court attack. The teams split the second quarter 21–21, but the Nets still trailed 49–34 at the break. Houston took the third quarter 29–23 before Brooklyn rallied to win the fourth 26–22 — a late push that trimmed the margin without changing the shape of the night.
Ben Saraf played 16 minutes and 26 seconds off the bench and finished with two points, one assist and two steals. He missed all three of his field-goal attempts, including his lone three-point try, and made just one of two free throws. Two turnovers and a minus-15 rating rounded out a difficult offensive outing, though the steals reflected defensive activity that held up even as his shot and playmaking stalled.
Danny Wolf started at forward and posted four points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks in 18 minutes and 35 seconds. Six of those boards came at the defensive end. But five turnovers and five personal fouls cut into the value of that work, and Wolf shot just one of three from the floor and one of three from the line, finishing at minus-15 alongside Saraf.
Brooklyn's broader shooting trouble hurt more than either Israeli's individual line. The Nets made 25 of 71 attempts for 35.2 percent and just nine of 38 threes — 23.7 percent. Houston shot 43.1 percent overall and 45.8 percent from deep, sinking two more threes on 14 fewer attempts. The Rockets also won the rebounding battle 41–32, turning their sharper perimeter efficiency into extra scoring chances.
Bruce Thornton led all scorers with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, and Tristen Newton added 20 points and six rebounds in 21:32. Egor Dëmin carried Brooklyn with 21 points and five made threes, with Mikel Brown Jr. contributing 14. Those numbers kept the Nets in the game after the early blow, but they were not enough to offset a Houston starting group that shot just 33.3 percent yet still produced 53 combined points.
Brooklyn did generate disruption of its own, finishing with 15 steals and eight blocks — both higher than Houston's totals — and two fewer team turnovers. The issue was conversion. Those defensive plays rarely turned into efficient offense, and Houston kept answering with cleaner shooting of its own.
For Saraf and Wolf, the final preliminary game was a sharp contrast to Tuesday's 115–83 win over Sacramento, and a clear read on the physical and decision-making demands their next stage of development will require.
Kastine Evans, Austin Spiker and Monnazjea Finney-Smithy officiated the contest, played at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas; no attendance figure was published. Brooklyn now moves into its final placement game, while Houston's 3–1 record keeps the Rockets in the wider Summer League qualification picture.
