Rockets vs. Clippers Takeaways: Less Isolation, Fourth Quarter Collapse, Future Sixth Man

The Houston Rockets (10-32) faced a lot of adversity Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The team fought hard for three quarters but fell short in a 121-100 loss to the Clippers inside Crypto.com Arena.

Here are three takeaways from their latest disappointing loss.

Less isolation without Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr.:

The NBA announced that Jalen Green and Jae'Sean Tate were suspended one game each for their involvement in Friday night's scuffle against the Sacramento Kings.

In addition to Green and Tate, Kevin Porter Jr. missed his second consecutive game due to a left foot contusion.

Houston entered the game short-handed against the Clippers. But for three quarters, the Rockets played some of their best basketball as a team.

"I wasn't upset with the way we played for the most part," Coach Stephen Silas said. "We were down two starters and our sixth man. We hung in there until the fourth quarter. When we were playing well, we played with good energy, and that is something we can build on."

The Rockets ran less isolation ball with Green and Porter absent, and Houston's offense looked more efficient.

The ball kept moving, which led to the Rockets shooting 51.6 percent through the first three quarters. And as expected, Alperen Sengun orchestrated the offense as the primary facilitator and finished with a team-best six assists.

The Rockets did miss Green's and Porter's three-level scoring during the fourth quarter. But Silas should focus on running less iso ball to enhance the team's offense for the remainder of the season.

This game demonstrated that isolation play in 2023 has been more of a detriment for Houston than an asset.

They scored 90 points with an offensive rating of 118.2 entering the fourth quarter. Since falling to the Miami Heat on Dec. 15, the Rockets came into Los Angeles ranked last in points per game (107.6), shooting percentage (44.5) and offensive rating (108.2).

"When they are not playing, I know I have to make plays," Sengun said. "That is what I do. I look up to Nikola Jokic. My game is similar to his."

Another fourth quarter collapse:

The Rockets have had an issue with fourth-quarter execution all season. And if not for the reoccurring problem, Houston would not be holding the worst record in the league at the halfway mark.

The Rockets entered the fourth quarter trailing the Clippers 91-90. But in the fourth quarter, they had an appalling performance.

Houston recorded a season-low 10 points during the period on 25 percent shooting, while Los Angeles scored 30 points and shot 47.6 percent from the field.

"It looked like we ran out of gas," Silas said. "Again, we lost confidence. They went to the pick-and-roll, and we had trouble guarding it. And we missed open shots."

Over the last four games, the Rockets have been outscored by an average margin of 14.5 points in the fourth quarter.

Future sixth man in Tari Eason:

When an ankle injury sidelined Tate for 35 games, Tari Eason said the veteran forward was a resource to rely upon as he got accustomed to the NBA. And against the Clippers, Eason used Tate's advice to fill his void as the Rockets' six man.

He played 20 minutes and recorded 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and two assists. But his biggest impact may have come on the defensive end.

Eason added four rebounds, three steals, and a block, illustrating his skill set as an all-around player while competing against one of his favorite players, Kawhi Leonard.

It's still hard to determine Eason's ceiling 42 games into his career. But the rookie prospect from LSU has proven he could make a long and successful NBA career by becoming a reliable sixth man in the future.

During his lone season at LSU, Eason took home SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors averaging 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.9 steals.

Best performance:

Eric Gordon led the Rockets in scoring with a season-high 24 points, but K.J. Martin was Houston's best player. He set an early tone with his energy that gave the Rockets a chance to end their losing skid against the Clippers. Martin scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting and nine rebounds in his second consecutive start.

Worst performance:

Daishen Nix made his first career start. He made some plays on both ends early in the first quarter but did not provide the Rockets much the rest of the game. Nix played a career-high 36 minutes and recorded four turnovers, two assists and one point.

Final Words:

"Defense has to be the staple to building a team. Once we do better on that end, it will translate to offense. It is hard to win in this league, and that is what these guys have to understand." — Eric Gordon

You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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