Salman Ali • The Houston Rockets defeated the Detroit Pistons in a tough 11 a.m. contest Saturday night and the story of the game was Garrison Mathews. Mathews had just signed his first long-term NBA contract hours before and followed it up with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, and 1 block on 6 of 12 shooting from the floor. He also made 4 of the 9 three-pointers he attempted, the very trait that delivered him this contract. Mathews was just playing with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League last month and has now started in 11 games for the Rockets. Stories like that are rare from two-way contract guys, which is why it was ironic of him to replace one of the last two-way guys that was like this: Danuel House.