Disappearing Act: Rockets a No-Show in Embarrassing 126-106 Loss to Magic
Tragic Exposition. Slipping out of Rhythm. Searching for Answers.
They did it again. Only this time, with Russell Westbrook. The Rockets got blown out at home by the Magic, 126-106. It’s another embarrassing loss for the squad to another bad team. Houston’s fourth straight loss drops them to sixth in the standings. The team they shipped Chris Paul to, Oklahoma City, is now even ahead of the Rockets in the standings. Last Sunday, Houston was waking up after their sixth straight victory. They were on the cusp of the second seed, companied with murmurs of serious contention for a title. Now, after four straight losses in unprecedented fashion, the Rockets look lost. Neither James Harden nor Russell Westbrook managed to top even the 25-point mark, as Houston was bullied inside by Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic. Gordon finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while “Vooch” garnered 16 points and boards apiece. Orlando also had unexpected bursts from the perimeter. D.J. Augustin led the Magic with 24 points, and Markelle Fultz scored 18 in a better-than-normal outing. Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll combined for 28 points and 7 boards for the Rockets, but despite the newcomers efforts, Houston has a serious problem.
Something’s up with James Harden. The Beard has put on one of the worst stretches of his career during this losing streak. Houston’s former MVP is really missing Clint Capela right now. Robert Covington’s been better than expected, and the trade was the right move, but trading Capela hurt Harden’s game more than anyone else. The Beard’s in dire need of a dependable big man in the pick-and-roll, something Capela was outstanding at, especially his ability to finish Harden’s lobs. When the Beard’s a threat to lob it for an ‘oop, which happened frequently with Capela, he’s unstoppable. But when you remove that aspect, that capability of his passing game, when you remove that, you’re also cutting part of Harden’s game out of the picture. And with no big to effectively run the pick and roll with the Beard, that’s exactly what the Rockets have done.
As Houston searches for answers, they have another great chance for a win in their next game. They host Minnesota on Tuesday, the second-worst teams by record in the West. It’s essentially a must-win for the Rockets if they want any chance of home-court advantage. This is the easiest opponent Houston’s faced since the slide into obscurity began. The Rockets cannot afford let the streak continue, and fall at the hands of another below-average team. Not again.