Rockets Drop Third Straight in 111-91 Loss to Sixers
First Half Misery. Embiid-ed Again. On to San Antonio.
The Rockets actually played a more competitive game, hanging around until the Sixers pulled away in the third quarter, as Philly dealt Houston their third loss in a row, 111-91, on Monday night. Joel Embiid dominated once again for the Sixers, leading Philly’s charge with 31 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks. Christian Wood and Jalen Green scored 14 points apiece to lead the Rockets, who had no answers for Embiid or the Sixers defensively. Philly dominated in the interior, outscoring the Rockets 56 to 28 in the paint. Despite crawling back into the game in the second quarter, Houston continued their trend of first half with seemingly absent defense.
Philly scored 62 first half points, as the Rockets have now given up at least 55 points in the first half in seven straight games. Houston needs to buck that trend if they want to end this losing streak. The squad now heads out West for a five-game road trip beginning in San Antonio. They’ll play their in-state rivals before facing the merely average Sacramento Kings twice in a row. However, their trip ends with matchups against two of the West’s best, Utah and Golden State.
Houston will have to be even more competitive as they take their scrappy play on the road, another test for this young squad. Can the Rockets win a game on this trip, or are they in the midst of another long skid? Answers can be found at the Alamo… as the Rockets are on to San Antonio Wednesday night, where they’ll start their competitive road trip out West.