Suns Pummel Sluggish Rockets as Russell Westbrook Sits Out

Thursday night marked perhaps the Rockets' best win of the season in a double-digit victory over LeBron James and the Lakers. Friday wasn't as encouraging. 

Houston limped to a 127-91 loss to the Suns on the second night of a back-to-back, allowing Phoenix to shoot 55.8% from the field. Non-Harden Rockets hit just six triples. The Suns held a 13-point edge in transition and a 14-point lead in the paint. As Russell Westbrook sat, the Rockets slumped, snapping a four-game winning streak. 

Here are three takeaways as the Rockets fell to 33–19 in 2019-20.

Supporting Cast Struggles

James Harden was ready to carry the Rockets as Westbrook rested on Friday, finishing the evening with 32 points in 30 minutes. The NBA's scoring leader banged home four threes in the second quarter after a difficult start, and he entered the locker room at halftime with 25 points. Harden traditionally shines in Phoenix (near Tempe, home of his alma mater Arizona State), dropping 47 against the Suns on Dec. 21. Friday marked another impressive performance, but it wasn't enough as Harden's supporting cast faltered.

Non-Harden Rockets finished the night 6-38 from three, and that included a pair of garbage-time threes from Austin Rivers. Houston's traditional rotation players struggled mightily. Robert Covington hit just 1-7 threes after banging home four triples against the Lakers on Thursday, and P.J. Tucker went 1-6 from the field and 0-4 from three. Eric Gordon continued his streaky play with a 1-5 clunker, and his night took a disappointing turn after missing the second half due to a lower leg injury. Winning without Westbrook is an uphill battle. The climb gets steeper with a string of clanked threes. 

Booker, Oubre Torch Rockets

While the Rockets couldn't find the basket for much of Friday, Phoenix was positively on fire. The Suns started Friday night 8-10 from the field and 7-8 from three, setting the tone for a night in which they shot nearly 60% from the field with 15 threes. Five Suns finished the night in double figures, but two Phoenix players in particular buried the Rockets on Friday. 

Devin Booker may have taken his All-Star frustration out on Houston on Friday. The 23-year-old point guard voiced his displeasure on missing out on the All-Star Game on Jan. 31, calling the NBA an "entertainment, drama, political-filled league." Booker played like an All-Star on Friday. He scored 33 points on 10-18 shooting, adding four threes and nine rebounds. 

Booker wasn't the Suns' leading scorer, though. Kelly Oubre Jr. finished the contest with 39 points and nine rebounds, missing just five shots on the evening while making seven threes. Phoenix remains outside the playoff picture as the All-Star break approaches, but there isn't a dearth of talent in the desert. An exciting young core is beginning to emerge. 

Size Woes Emerge

Westbrook's absence added an additional complication to the Rockets' small-ball devotion, taking one of their best rebounders off the floor. Houston paid the price for Westbrook's rest. The Suns won the rebounding edge by 21 on Friday, snagging 10 offensive boards in their home victory. Booker and center Deandre Ayton found little resistance in the lane, and even 23 turnovers couldn't slow the Suns offense. We won't overreact to one game. Size issues are exacerbated with tired legs. But the small-ball experiment won't be without its hiccups. Houston's loss in Phoenix was the first example after Thursday's trade deadline. 

Up Next: vs. Jazz on Sunday

The Rockets will return home for a pair of contests before the All-Star break, hosting Utah on Sunday before a matchup with the Celtics on Tuesday. Houston snagged a critical win without Westbrook or former center Clint Capela in Utah on Jan. 28, defeating the Jazz behind 50 points from Eric Gordon. 

Tip-off from the Toyota Center on Sunday is slated for 6 p.m. CT.