Month: December 2023

Rockets Seek to Get Back on Track at Home, Host 76ers

Big Break.    The Wizard’s Night?    More Effort.

Losers of two straight at home, the Rockets aim to reclaim their winning ways at Toyota Center as they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. The Rockets started the season winning twelve of their first fourteen games. They’ve now dropped two contests in disappointing fashion. They’ll look to get back on track against a  Sixers team who will be without their best player, Joel Embiid, the NBA’s reigning MVP. That’s a big break for the Rockets, as Embiid is having another MVP-caliber season this year. Houston needs to take advantage of his absence. The Rockets are shorthanded themselves, missing two starters, as Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr. are both out tonight with injuries. That means more minutes and opportunities for the likes of Aaron Holiday, Amen Thompson, Jae’Sean Tate, and Cam Whitmore. Tari Eason carries a questionable tag into this contest, but if he can suit up, expect more minutes for Eason as well.

Without Embiid on the court, Philly is a little thin on the frontline. Alperen Sengun has a great opportunity to have another monster performance tonight. Expect “The Wizard” to possibly score over 30 points again, as he’ll be asked to carry even more of an offensive load with Brooks and Smith Jr. sidelined. Jalen Green had a bounce-back performance, scoring 23 points in the previous game to Phoenix, but it came in a loss. And in a game in which Houston wasn’t competitive throughout. Green did take the most shots last game, 20, but the Houston was never in the contest. The Rockets are a better team when the offense runs through Sengun. The Wizard is clearly the best player on Houston’s roster, and he should have the most shot attempts during most games. Keep an eye on Green tonight, as it would be nice to see the young guard play well in a winning performance. If Green can find his shot, he plays harder. And effort is something that Green’s lacked this season. It’s why he’s been benched in certain fourth quarters, and hasn’t seen the minute volume one would expect for the youngster. The Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has made it clear, if you don’t bring the energy and effort, you’re going to find yourself sitting on the bench, watching the game like the rest of us. Hopefully, Coach Udoka has his team fired up after one day of rest.

The loss to Indiana two games ago took a lot of effort out of Houston, and they had tired legs in the loss to Phoenix the next night. Coming into tonight’s matchup against the Sixers, the Rockets have had a day of rest, and should be sharper on the court. Expect the team to play with that Tari Eason-level of energy and intensity, especially if Eason is able to lace it up tonight. In a battle between two undermanned teams, this matchup will be decided by whoever plays with more effort. Can Houston bring the intensity needed in order to snap their two-game losing streak at home? With Embiid sidelined, the opportunity is there for the taking for Sengun’s Rockets… expect a closer game at Toyota Center on Friday night… as Houston aims to protect home-court and end their skid.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Philadelphia 76ers (21-9):  Red

Houston Rockets (15-14):  “City Edition” White

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Suns Burn Rockets, 129-113, in Gordon’s Return to Houston

One Step Behind.    Schedule Loss.    Bit by the Bug.

Eric Gordon returned to his old stomping grounds, and helped fuel the Phoenix Suns, scoring a season-high 27 points, en route to dealing the Rockets a 129-113 defeat on Wednesday night. Kevin Durant also scored 27 points for the Suns, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Alperen Sengun led the Houston with 24 points, and Jalen Green had somewhat of a bounce-back game, scoring 23 points on 8-for-20 shooting for the Rockets. Houston was just one step behind Phoenix from the opening tip, and lacked the usual energy we’ve seen from this squad throughout the season. The Rockets have now lost two straight games at Toyota Center after starting the season 12-2 at home. In other bad news, Jabari Smith Jr. was the latest Rocket to go down, as he suffered an injury and left the game. Dillon Brooks suffered an oblique injure in the previous loss to the Pacers, as Houston’s roster is the most depleted it’s been all season.

After nearly having a full-strength roster for most of the season, the Rockets have now been bit the injury bug. With Dillon Brooks, and now Jabari Smith Jr., Houston is without two of their key starters on this squad. No timetable has been set for either’s return, and while neither injury looks serious, these two could miss a few games for the Rockets. Houston will need to find a way to weather their absences, and guys off the bench need to step up and fill roles accordingly. Cam Whitmore got first-quarter minutes for the first time this season, and will likely see a larger role with the recent injuries to the squad. Wednesday night’s loss to the Suns wasn’t a surprising result for the Rockets. Phoenix desperately needed a win. The Suns were under .500 for the first time in five years, and riding a three-game slide. The surprise is the lack of effort shown on the Rockets side. Houston’s lost fourteen games this season, but they’ve been completive in the majority of their defeats. That wasn’t the case on Wednesday night, as the Rockets lacked effort and looked tired.

The loss to the Suns was the second of a back-to-back for Houston, and their third game in four nights. The Rockets will now get a day of rest before they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. The Sixers have been without Joel Embiid for their last two games. Regardless, if he plays, the Sixers are smart, talented, and hard to beat. Philly is one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, and will present another tough challenge for Houston… hopefully they bring more effort to close out 2023 this weekend.

Rockets Aiming to Bounce Back, Host Slumping Suns

Splash Gordon Returns.    Settling Suns.    Eyes on Green.

A familiar face returns to Toyota Center tonight, as the Houston Rockets host Eric Gordon and the Phoenix Suns. EG played six and half seasons for the Rockets, and was a consummate professional throughout his entire time in H-Town. “Splash” Gordon was a member of the 2017/2018 team that set the franchise record for regular season wins, and almost dethroned the dynastic, overloaded Warriors. If not only for the infamous Chris Paul hamstring injury that denied the Rockets their first title in decades. But that’s all in the past. EG returns with a new squad, the struggling Phoenix Suns. Besides adding Gordon, Phoenix acquired All-Star Bradley Beal in the offseason to pair with fellow superstars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Phoenix’s problem has been their inability to get these three players on the court at the same time. Beal has played only a handful of games this season, and will miss tonight’s contest.

The Rockets are coming off a tough, close loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. It’s the second of a back-to-back for Houston, as Phoenix has had one day off after playing on Christmas. The slumping Suns have lost three straight games, and five of their last six overall. Houston’s mired in their own mini-slump at home. After winning eleven consecutive games at Toyota Center, the Rockets have now lost two of their last three home games. They’ll try and find their groove at home against a struggling Phoenix squad starting to show signs of frustration. Rumors in the Valley say Kevin Durant is extremely frustrated, and has possibly “checked out” on the season. KD barked back at these rumors on social medial, but these Suns are looking more and more like the “Big Three” in Brooklyn that featured KD, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. Those Nets never made it to their Championship aspirations, and much was due to injuries and missed time, the same factors being witnessed in the Valley of the Sun. The Rockets will try and deal the Suns their fourth straight loss, as Houston looks to get back on track at Toyota Center tonight.

While Phoenix has arguably been the league’s most disappointing team to start this season, Houston isn’t without their own set of problems. The Rockets have seen a culture change in Houston since Ime Udoka was named the head coach to start this season. He prevented James Harden from coming back to dribble Houston back into mediocrity. Harden wanted to be “the man,” but he’s just not that player anymore. Udoka knows it. The league knows it. It’s simply a fact. By putting more emphasis on team defense and movement on offense, the Rockets have transformed from one of the worst defensive teams into one of the best. Their offense is more fluid, and everyone seems to be buying in, except for Jalen Green. The former second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft is in the middle of a  serious slump. Over his last two games, Green has only scored a combined 14 points on 4-for-15 shooting from the floor. And he’s played around 20 minutes in each game, way less action than he was seeing earlier in the season. And low minutes for any young player in an NBA starting lineup. The Rockets last two games have been close, and Green hasn’t even played in crunch time of either contest. His minutes, touches, and the faith the coaching staff has in him are all declining at a rapid rate. Currently, Green is the worst player in Houston’s rotation, and he has the squad playing uphill in winnable games (see last night’s loss for example). The scrutiny on his game is growing more and more with each passing game. It’s still too early to give up on the youngster. He’s still only 21 years old, and has shown signs of the All-Star Houston fans hope one day he will become. But compared to Alperen Sengun, who was drafted 16th in the same class, he’s not progressing as expected. As Jalen is mired in the worst slump of his career, Sengun is playing the best ball of his life. If these two can ever start clicking together on the court, the Rockets will be tough to beat.

For now, Houston fans can only hope Green gets out of his own head. Jalen has the talent to perform at a higher level, he just desperately needs to play harder, especially on defense. Expect another thriller tonight at Toyota Center, and an emotional tribute video for Eric Gordon… as the Rockets face a desperate Suns team that’s struggling to stay in the playoff-picture.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Phoenix Suns (14-15):  Black

Houston Rockets (15-13):  “City Edition” White

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets’ Comeback Falls Short in 123-117 Loss to Pacers

Troubling Third.    All-Sengun.    The Fall Out.   

For a moment, the Rockets appeared on the verge of another comeback. After holding a three-point edge at halftime, Houston was outscored 37-23 in the third period. The Rockets rallied to take a two-point lead 117-115, but the Pacers ended the game on an 8-0 run, as Houston fell to Indiana, 123-117, on Tuesday night. The Pacers, the NBA’s highest scoring team this season, were too much to handle. Their All-Star Tyrese Haliburton finished with 33 points to lead a balanced Indy attack that saw eight Pacers reach double-figures in scoring. Dillon Brooks’ left the contest in the third period with an injury, and never returned the game. His absence was felt on both ends of the court as the Rockets couldn’t slow Indy’s offensive powerhouse. This marks the first time all season Houston has lost when donning their “Hometown Heroes” threads.

Following the game of his life, Alperen Sengun had another outstanding performance. Sengun scored 30 points and grabbed 16 boards for the Rockets, and almost single-handedly got the squad back in the game. It wasn’t enough, as Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers were too hot for Houston to handle on Tuesday night. Regardless, Sengun has to be seriously considered for an All-Star bid, especially if the Rockets maintain a winning record. After winning eleven consecutive home games, the Rockets have now lost two of their last three matchups at Toyota Center. Houston doesn’t have to wait long to get back on track, as they’ll host the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night in the second part of a mid-week back-to-back.

For the second straight game, Jalen Green was nowhere to be found on the court in crunch time. Green failed to see even 20 minutes of action, only earning 19 minutes of court time despite still being in the starting lineup. Green scored only 5 points on seven shot attempts, and is in serious danger of falling out of the starting lineup, and potentially the rotation. The Rockets have been extremely patient with Jalen, but he’s shown no signs of improvement this season. Rather, he’s been digressing from the expectations set upon him. No one was expecting him to be a superstar this season. However, many people expected him to make the sort of progression that Sengun is showing on the court. The reality is, Sengun is far and away the best player on this Rockets team. Not only is he the best player. At only age 21, he’s a generational talent, the next great Rockets Big Man, following in the footsteps of Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone, Yao Ming, and other Hall-of-Fame centers who once played for Houston.

Despite the loss, the Rockets have been exceeding league-wide expectations this year. The games they do lose are usually nail-biters like Tuesday night’s fall to Indy. Coach Ime Udoka is playing to win, and Jalen Green isn’t playing hard enough to earn crunch time minutes. Sengun’s always been an offensive wizard, but his improvement on defense has been one of the major reasons Houston is excelling more than most thought this season. Green doesn’t exert any effort unless his shot is falling, which is rare nowadays. Jalen seems to have one good quarter every three or four games. He’s struggling to put one consistent performance together. And if the struggle continues, Green may find himself in a new role he never expected, or the Rockets may look to trade him. It’s still too early to jump the gun on Jalen, but the clock’s ticking after several dreadful performances, Hopefully it’s just the Holidays that have Green distracted, but if he doesn’t find his groove soon… he could be out of Houston sooner than anyone expected. The Rockets, per usual, were victims to several horrible late calls, that defiantly contributed to the Pacers winning this contest. Not saying the refs won the game for Indy, but they definitely got the benefit of the officials in this contest. Up next on the schedule, Jalen Green will attempt to bust out of his slump, as the Rockets get right back in action on Wednesday night when they welcome the struggling Phoenix Suns to town.

Rockets Host Slumping Pacers to Begin Home-Stand

Home for the Holidays.    Sluggish Horses.    Rising Stars.

After a couple of days off over the Christmas break, the Rockets resume action on Tuesday night as they host the Indiana Pacers to begin a seven-game home-stand. This is Houston’s second seven-game home-stand of the season, tied for their longest of the season. The Rockets went 6-1 in their previous seven-game home-stand, igniting the longest winning streak at Toyota Center in five years. Houston won their previous match at home over Dallas on Friday, and the squad will look to string another home streak together starting tonight. Tuesday night’s game is the first of three games in four nights to close out the calendar year. The Rockets will aim to end 2023 with a bang, as they won’t hit the road again until next year, on January 8th.

The Indiana Pacers have been in a slump since losing in the In-Season Tournament Finale to the Lakers. The Pacers are 2-6 since that game, including losses in six of their past seven contests. And the two wins in that span came against two of the league’s bottom-feeders: the lowly Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons. Regardless, Indy is coached by Rick Carlisle, the man who led the Mavericks to a title last decade, and they have one of the NBA’s rising stars, in Tyrese Haliburton. Besides Haliburton, Myles Turner is their next best player, a force on the inside who will present another tough challenge for Houston’s own rising star, Alperen Sengun. Houston’s center is coming off the best game of his young career, a dominant 37-point performance that fueled the Rockets to victory in New Orleans over the Pelicans on Saturday night.

Besides featuring a couple of the league’s rising stars, this game is a battle of young teams looking to establish themselves in their respective conferences. Both teams currently hold the 8th spot in their conference, although they’ve been heading in opposite directions of late. As they aim for their third straight win, the Rockets will try to deal the Pacers their third consecutive loss. Besides Haliburton and Turner, Indy has a few perimeter threats Houston needs to be conscious of on the court. Buddy Hield is one of the league’s top three-point shooters, and is staring to find his stroke after a slow start to the campaign. Obi Toppin is in the midst of breakout season for the Pacers as part of their starting unit. Toppin has quietly been one of the league’s best role players this season. Rounding out the starting five for the Pacers is Andrew Nembhard, another young, under-the-radar player who’s having a breakout season in his sophomore year for Indiana. The Rockets have enough talent and discipline to beat this Pacers team. And Houston is still undefeated when donning their “Hometown Heroes” threads, which they will be wearing once again tonight. If they can prevent Haliburton for exploding for 35 or 40 points… the Rockets should be able to secure their third straight win to begin this home-stand.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Indiana Pacers (14-14):  Yellow

Houston Rockets (15-12):  “City Edition” White

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA TV

Sengun’s Career Night Powers Rockets Past Pelicans, 106-104

The Wizard of H-Town.    Superb Reservations.    Mini-Break.

In a game where no team led by 7 points, resolve and will would determine the winner of this contest. And on this night, no player was more determined than Alperen Sengun. “The Wizard,” a nickname bestowed upon him by teammate Tari Eason, had the best game of his NBA professional career. Sengun finished with a career-high 37 points, including 11 boards and 6 dimes, fueling the Rockets to a 106-104 win over the Pelicans on Friday night. It’s only Sengun’s third career 30-point game in his third NBA season, but expect many more to come in the future. The young Turk is making a strong case for All-Star consideration this season, especially with Houston exceeding expectations with a 15-12 record this season. Sengun scored 9 points in the final four minutes to help the Rockets outlast the Pels’ in this one. He also exploited his matchup with Jonas Valanciunas. Sengun used his quickness to exploit the matchup, including fouling out Valanciunas with under five minutes remaining. Houston’s young star center has shown incredible improvement on the defensive end this season. Zion Williamson finished with 28 points for New Orleans, and seemed unstoppable on his drives to the hoop. That is, until he met Sengun, who had a key stop on Williamson late in the game.

The Rockets reserves were superb in this contest. After Houston trailed by six points early in the fourth quarter, the bench (featuring Tari Eason, Jae’Sean Tate, and Aaron Holiday, among others) outscored the Pelicans’ starters 9-0 to get the Rockets back in the contest. Jabari Smith Jr. continued his recent string of stellar performances. The sophomore forward for Houston scored at least 26 points for the second time in three games. His dominance on the glass continued, as he grabbed 11 rebounds as well. After a slow start to his rookie campaign, Smith Jr. is having a breakout season in his second year in the league. He scored a career-high 34 points in the Rockets’ latest loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. And along with Sengun, Jabari was demonstrative in leading Houston to a victory over New Orleans. The win is the Rockets second straight, following a three-game losing streak. It’s also the first time all season they’ve been victorious on the second night of a back-to-back.

Houston was able to withstand another poor outing from Jalen Green, who is beginning to come under more scrutiny with each game. The Rockets’ shooting guard scored only 9 points on 8 shot attempts in 22 minutes of action, and was basically a non-factor in the squad’s comeback win. Fans are getting impatient, but it’s too early to give up on the former second overall pick. The Rockets can only hope that this is a first half slump which he bounces out of once the New Year comes around. Houston now has one of two “mini-breaks” coming up over the holidays. The squad will get two days off until their next matchup, a meeting with the Indiana Pacers back at Toyota Center on Tuesday. It’s the first time the Rockets have had two days off in a few weeks, so the squad needs to rest up over Christmas and be prepared to resume action next week. The Pacers have been struggling since losing to the Lakers in the In-Season Tournament finale, but they have plenty of young firepower to contend with Houston. The Rockets need to carry that same determination and will witnessed on Friday night into next week, as they end 2023 with a busy slate of three games in four nights… starting with a matchup on Tuesday night back in H-Town.

Rockets Fly into the Big Easy for Battle with Pelicans

Back Half.    Pit Stop.    Grinding Season.

The Rockets hit the road grind for the final time in 2023, as they head to the Big Easy to face the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s the second of a back-to-back for Houston, who snapped their three-game losing streak with a win over the Mavericks on Friday night. The Rockets drew a lucky hand with Dallas being so heavily undermanned last night. Tonight’s matchup will be intensely more difficult compared to last night.

New Orleans has won five of their last six games, with the lone loss featuring a Ja Morant buzzer beater to fuel a Grizzlies comeback over the Pels. Zion Williamson has been battling an illness over the previous week, and he’s questionable for tonight’s game. The Rockets won the first matchup between these squads, 104-101, in Houston back on November 10th. CJ McCollum didn’t play in that game, as Houston narrowly edged New Orleans in the first matchup. Unless Zion can’t give it a go, the Pelicans should be at full strength tonight. They’ve also gotten Trey Murphy III back, who didn’t play in the first game in Houston. Murphy III is sneakily on of the most underrated “three and D” threats in the league, and could hurt the Rockets if they don’t respect his talents. The young wing had 28 points to lead the Pels in their previous win, and if Zion is out, except Murphy III to have an even more significant role tonight.

Saturday night marks a quick pit stop on the road for the Rockets. The squad’s currently in the middle of a lengthy home stretch, with tonight’s matchup being the lone road game. It’s the last matchup away from Toyota Center in 2023 for these Rockets. And while they’ve struggled on the road record-wise, they’ve been the unfortunate victims of many bad calls on the road that’s led them to suffer several nail-biting losses. Hopefully tonight’s contest is officiated fairly on both sides. It’s grinding season for the Rockets, as they face one of the toughest teams in the NBA tonight in the Big Easy.

 

Smoothie King Center:  New Orleans, Louisiana

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (14-12):  White

New Orleans Pelicans (17-12):  Red

 

Tip-Off:  6:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Crush Undermanned Mavs, 122-96, to Snap Losing Streak

Quick Work.    More Whitmore.    Front Half.

Facing a heavily undermanned Dallas team, Houston wasted no time reverting back to their winning ways. The Rockets made quick work of the Mavericks, and led by as many as 40 points at one point, as they cruised to a 122-96 victory on Friday night. The win snaps Houston’s three-game losing streak, and improves the squad’s home record to 12-2. Basically 40% of Dallas’ players were unavailable, due to injury or illness. Contrary to facing Atlanta, the Rockets didn’t play around with this wounded Mavs unit.

Alperen Sengun led Houston’s charge with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Sengun should be in the running for his first All-Star bid, especially if the Rockets continue their winning ways into the February break. Cam Whitmore had his best game of his career. The rookie received 14 minutes of action, and made the most of his time. Whitmore flashed his upside with 14 points and some impressive plays in garbage time.

The Rockets took care of business as expected on Friday night. The squad has little time to revel in their latest win, as Houston travels to the Big Easy to take on the Pelicans tomorrow night. That game won’t be anywhere near as easy as this latest victory Dallas. Luckily for the Rockets, they were able to rest key players in this blowout victory. No single Houston player saw more than 31 minutes of action…. hence they should have enough left in the tank to face a rising New Orleans squad on Saturday night.

Rockets Desperately Seeking Win, Host Hobbled Mavericks

No Luka.    Fast Start.    Danger Zone.

Currently on three game skid, the Rockets host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night, as they aim to get back on the winning track. Houston had their eleven game home winning streak snapped in their previous loss, a 134-127 defensive dud to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. There is some potentially good news for the Rockets tonight, if they seize the opportunity, Luka Doncic will miss tonight’s game with an injury. That’s fortunate for Houston, as Luka’s torched the Rockets over the last few games, averaging a 40-point triple-double. Kyrie Irving remains sideline with an injury as well, but this Mavericks team still has plenty of dangerous players. Tim Hardaway Jr. seems to always play his best against Houston. He’s a seasoned Rocket-killer, and don’t be surprised if he scores at least 25 points tonight. Dante Exum has basically taken Irving’s place in the lineup since the star’s been out. And Exum has played extremely well as of late. The same goes for Derrick Jones Jr. and Jaden Hardy. These players will be on the Rockets’ defensive radar tonight. If they can control the out from this foursome, Houston should be able to beat these undermanned Mavs on Friday night.

The Rockets need to get off to a fast start. They can’t afford to overlook this Mans team because their two best players are sidelined. If Houston falls behind early, they may not have enough steam to get back in the contest. Plus, this is the first of a back-to-back, as the Rockets travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans tomorrow night. Houston could use an easy win and some rest, before heading over to face a tough New Orleans squad on the road.

Minus Kyrie and Luka, this is by far Houston’s easiest game for the rest of the year. They play playoff teams pretty much every night after this contest until we see the Pistons on New Year’s Day. The Rockets are in a danger zone of approaching a lengthy losing streak if they can’t beat the Mavs tonight. Dallas is undermanned, and Houston needs to take advantage of these absences in order to start another winning streak at home.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Dallas Mavericks (16-11):  Blue

Houston Rockets (13-12):  “City Edition” White

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Home Streak Ends in 134-127 Loss to Hawks

Loose Switches.    Wrong Direction.    Fighting the Schedule.

It was fun while it lasted, but Houston’s win streak at home came to an end on Wednesday night, as the Hawks outlasted the Rockets, 134-127, at Toyota Center. Houston had won eleven straight at Toyota Center, but the Hawks ended that streak in triumphant fashion. This contest was a game of runs. The Rockets trailed by 20 points early, then came back to take a five point lead in the second half. Atlanta then took the lead again, by a sizable amount. Houston rallied again, but the comeback attempt ultimately fell short in the loss. Trae Young led the Hawks with 30 points and 14 assists, as the Rockets have now given up more than 134 in consecutive games. The defense needs to get better. Houston has been shooting the ball well and playing fine on the offensive end. Their defense is to blame for these recent losses. Jabari Smith Jr. had the best game of his young career. Jabari scored a career-high 34 points, and grabbed 13 rebounds. Fred VanVleet continued his stellar play. FVV scored 32 points and dished out 15 assists. Both guys have been Houston’s best two players over the last few games.

The Rockets’ pick-and-roll defense was terrible against Young and the Hawks. Houston had loose switches on almost every coverage featuring a pick-and-roll in this matchup, and ultimately led to them allowing a whopping 134 points. After an impressive start wading a tough early schedule, the Rockets have now officially their first bad loss on their resume this season. You should never lose to a below .500 team at home. Even if they feature a few All-Stars like Young and Dejounte Murray. The Rockets have been several title contenders at home, and their bad start doomed them in this latest loss. Houston has now lost three straight games overall, and will look to get back on track Friday night as they host the Dallas Mavericks.

Coming up the Rockets have a weekend back-to-back, followed by a lengthy seven-game home-stand. First the Rockets host the Mavs this Friday, before traveling to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Saturday night. The schedule is pretty tough coming up, including these two games. The Rockets have a lot of home games coming up, but most of them are against likely playoff teams like the Mavericks. Houston needs to find their defensive swagger, or they could be in danger of approaching a lengthy losing streak.