Holding Leads is a Challenge for the Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have difficulty finishing games against good teams. They've dropped two straight games after holding leads throughout both matches. The Rockets are trying to prove they can compete with the best teams in the NBA. While they've proven so far that they can compete, they don't know how to win against these battle-tested squads yet.

The Minnesota Timberwolves stole their victory from the Rockets with an impressive offensive display to end the game. Scorers like Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle took over in the big spots, and the Rockets couldn't respond with their own offensive success.

Players like Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo each played a part in helping the Timberwolves come back from a double-digit deficit with just a few minutes remaining in the game.

The main factor that stood out for the Rockets was their inability to create efficient offense at the end of the game. Things that Houston accomplished earlier in the game were not repeatable. The shots they made to create the lead were not as open, but Houston wasn't converting many opportunities near the end in general.

Alperen Sengun had the most offensive success throughout the game, but he wasn't perfect either. He missed a few clutch free throws near the end, which kept Minnesota within striking distance. Anthony Edwards struck gold with a go-ahead shot that buried Houston's chances.

Houston's loss against the Miami Heat had a much more explosive end to the game. A scuffle between Amen Thompson and Tyler Herro led to a bench-clearing brawl that saw several Houston players and coaches get ejected.

Clearly, it was not the best look for a team that had just suffered another comeback defeat. Houston hadn't built up as large of a lead against Miami as they had against Minnesota, but it was a difficult loss to stomach due to Jimmy Butler's absence.

Once again, the offense seemed to desert the Rockets in the most clutch moments of the games. Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks seem to take turns taking difficult shots with varying levels of success.

The main problem for the offense in the clutch is that easy buckets are non-existent.

Sengun is the only player who can consistently create an efficient shot close to the basket. Everyone else depends on their ability to break a defender down, or if they can't, their ability to hit a tough shot. That's not a particularly sustainable form of offense, and Houston has already twice displayed the consequences of relying on that strategy.

Some players can remain effective with that strategy. Miami's Tyler Herro made difficult threes and driving shots all game. He especially delivered in the clutch as the leading scorer on a team without its top player.

The Rockets can still come away from this home stretch with reasons for optimism that they can win against some of the league's best teams. They face off against the Dallas Mavericks, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers to finish the homestand. If Houston hopes to win those games, it will have to find ways to generate enough offense to hold on to leads. There will be many more comeback defeats if not.

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