The Rockets Punt Away Three Games to Low Effort

The Houston Rockets can't seem to return to their consistent winning ways from earlier in the season. They've entered another stretch of poor play in recent weeks, losing four of their last six games. Their futility has culminated in a three-game losing streak against teams in the postseason picture. The most difficult part of these losses is that Houston has abandoned the principles that led to its hot start this season. The defense and the effort have been poor.

Defense is one of the only traits the Rockets have been able to rely on this season. They created a reputation for playing physical and aggressive on the defensive end. The Rockets couldn't live up to their reputation in their most recent losing streak.

Houston sends out a platoon of defensive players, such as Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr., who maintain Houston's defensive principles. Brooks and Thompson lead the team's defense while Smith Jr. and Eason contribute smaller but still impactful roles for the defense.

Even Houston's offensive players like Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green have shown a willingness to defend and move their feet.

Each of these elements makes it difficult to understand why Houston performed so poorly on that end during its last three games. The Rockets allowed 113 points to the Sacramento Kings, who played without Domantas Sabonis for most of the game. They followed that performance by allowing 137 points from the Oklahoma City Thunder, featuring a 50-point game from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Indiana Pacers scored 115 points in Houston's most recent loss. The Rockets hold teams to an average of 109 points per game, so these performances were each below-average outings for Houston.

Houston's persistent effort is another trait it leans on to create advantages over its opponents. The Rockets display this most through their rebounding numbers, leading the league with just over 48 rebounds per game. They also hold teams to just under 43 rebounds per game, averaging a five rebound advantage over their opponents.

Houston held that advantage over the Pacers, grabbing 58 rebounds and 24 offensive boards. However, the team's efforts in the previous two games did not reflect season-long performance on the glass.

The Rockets also had a strong rebounding effort against the Thunder, but they allowed Oklahoma City to match their effort in that game. Both teams finished with 49 rebounds and double-digit offensive rebounds. Houston uses its ability to outrebound teams consistently to create an advantage. When teams match its performance, there isn't much else Houston can provide that is dependable enough to win against other good teams.

This is especially true when the Rockets are outrebounded, which is what occurred against the Sacramento Kings to start the losing streak. Sacramento outrebounded Houston by three boards, a surprising outcome given that the Kings were without Sabonis's contributions from the game's first minute.

The Rockets have lost 11 of the last 16 games, including two separate losing streaks. They're running out of time to right the ship and try to climb the standings. They can't continue poor outings like their most recent losing streak, even if they never make it out of the fifth seed.

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