Fateful Eight: Rockets Thrashed by Bulls, 120-100, as Losing Streak Continues
Sliding On. Franchise of Years’ Past. Embrace the Tank.
“It’s a pride thing. It’s a togetherness thing,” Houston Coach Stephen Silas said after the Rockets eighth straight loss, in blowout fashion, to the lowly Chicago Bulls. If you thought Houston hit rock bottom earlier in the season. This game cemented that position. As the slide continues and the Rockets continue to get blown out by bad teams, and with a record of 11-18, the season is simply a lost cause. Coby White led the Bulls with 24 points, and Zach LaVine scored 21, as another undermanned Houston team simply didn’t have enough firepower, falling to Chicago 120-100. David Nwaba led the Rockets with 22 points and 9 boards, but without Oladipo, Wood, Cousins, the squad simply is severely undermanned on nightly basis to compete at a high level. Injuries are a part of the business. And the Rockets got dealt the worst of hand this season.
The current eight-game skid is the longest in Rockets history since the 1999/2000 season, when Steve Francis, aka “The Franchise” was in his second year hoping to be the franchise player he never quite turned out to be. That season the Houston lost 15 games straight, in the season where everyone got sick (Francis had Meniere’s disease. This sounds eerily familiar. In a season where the Rockets have players out with injury, health and safety protocols, and rest, 2000 was the beginning of a rebuild for Houston, and it looks like 2021 is turning out to be the same.
So Rockets fans, embrace the tank. Hopefully the squad is torrid enough, and can somehow snag a lottery pick if it’s a top-4 pick this upcoming draft. Meaning if they finish with one of the four worst records, they’ll have a chance. And embrace P.J. Tucker. Houston’s going back to a small-ball lineup with Tucker at center since DeMarcus Cousins was released. And it’s a sign that P.J. might be the next to go. The Rockets are obviously fully committed to the rebuild. And Tucker deserves a chance at a ring. Houston owes him that for all the hustle, passion, and grit he provided every night as a Rocket. Hopefully, Tucker stays, the team magically turns this season around, and Christian Wood’s return boosts them into a playoff spot. But at the moment, that seems highly unlikely. Houston’s not together as a unit. The surprising Cousins ditch was the final sign the front office is giving up on this season. But, as a group of mainly, young, gritty, hard-working players… the Rockets can’t afford to lose their pride. Up next is the Cleveland Cavaliers. And another blowout loss on Wednesday could signify Houston doesn’t have any pride left. Hopefully they can come together, and try and save their season. With each loss, the Rockets are nearing elimination, even though it’s not even halfway through the season yet. Houston’s dug themselves too deep a hole… one they won’t be able to climb out of together.