P.J. Tucker: Rockets Need to 'Look in the Mirror' Amid Four-Game Losing Streak

The Rockets noted they were at "rock bottom" after Sunday's 126-106 loss to the Magic, a defeat that marked a season-long four-game losing streak. 

Houston has dropped three games against sub-.500 teams after defeating the Celtics in a thriller in Boston on Feb. 29. Add in a 15-point loss to the Clippers on March 5, and the Rockets' case as a Finals contender looks far less credulous than it did at the end of February. 

Yet despite the ugly stretch, we shouldn't write the Rockets off so soon. Houston loomed as a rising contender in the West less than two weeks ago, and the Rockets are still armed with a pair of MVPs. So what's the answer to Houston's current woes? Rockets forward P.J. Tucker has one prescription. 

"I think everybody has got to look in the mirror," Tucker told the media after the Rockets' loss to Orlando on Sunday. "It’s easy to point fingers and say that this guy does this, or we’re not doing this, and everybody has a solution. I think at the end of the day, if everybody takes care of themselves and coaches themselves, then we’ll be fine."

Both Tucker and James Harden have cited effort issues over the last week, and those same problems came to a head against the Magic. The Rockets were once again beat on the boards, but even more concerning was their defense on the perimeter. Harden and Co. provided little deterrence at the point of attack, allowing Markelle Fultz, D.J. Augustin and Aaron Gordon to get to the rim at will. After a menacing defensive start to the Robert Covington era, the Rockets have backslid in recent weeks. 

Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni had another theory for the Rockets' struggles. D'Antoni noted Houston's struggles on the offensive end, criticizing his team for not taking enough open threes. 

"I think we’re second guessing ourselves a lot of times. There’s no swagger, we’re passing up threes, we’re driving in because we missed so many threes." D'Antoni said postgame. "We need to take the shots. We need to take the threes. Even if we miss it, so be it, but we need to play the way we play."

The solution to the Rockets' current issues isn't clearly evident, though perhaps simply registering a win can turn the tide. The Rockets can regain momentum as quickly as they lost it, beginning on Tuesday against the Timberwolves.

Tip-off from the Toyota Center in Houston is slated for 7 p.m. CT.