Free Throw Shooting Again Cost the Houston Rockets Another Close Game

The Houston Rockets continue to give away games at the free throw line as it has become an issue in January.

Jan 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Stop if you have heard this before. The Houston Rockets struggled from the free-throw line in a close loss. It has been a phrase used a lot over the last few weeks, and it was used again after last night's defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Rockets fell to 26-16 after their 128-122 overtime loss.

The Rockets had to fight uphill for most of the first half as they trailed at the half and heading into the fourth quarter. Reed Sheppard for the second straight game had an offensive burst in the fourth quarter that helped the Rockets take the lead late as it seemed the Rockets were on their way to their fourth straight win.

The Rockets had a five-point lead at 118-113 with 2:33 left in the game after Tari Eason made his second straight 3-pointer, but the Rockets would only score two more points the rest of regulation and would have lost the game in regulation if it wasn't for a missed goaltending call on Kevin Durant.

The Rockets were gifted a second chance to win the game in overtime, but just like the last few minutes of regulation, they couldn't get much offense going, as they were outscored 13-7 in overtime. You can point to a few reasons why the Rockets lost the game, from being outrebounded to 16 turnovers, but one of the biggest reasons has to be the Rockets' poor free-throw shooting.

The Houston Rockets continue to struggle from the free throw line in January

Thursday night's loss didn't follow the same pattern as some of their other recent losses. In recent losses, the Rockets struggled from beyond the arc, where in some games they shot below 30 percent and, just as bad, from the field overall.

That wasn't the case on Thursday as the Rockets shot 45 percent from 3-point range and 46 percent from the field. One area, however, that has been an issue, just like their outside shooting, has been free-throw shooting, but unlike their shooting from downtown, their free-throw shooting still has been a struggle.

The Rockets shot 12-24 from the charity stripe in Thursday's loss, and in a game you use in overtime by six points, that tells you everything you need to know about why they lost. Unfortunately for the Rockets, it wasn't just a one-night occurrence: they are ranked last in the NBA in free-throw shooting for January at an abysmal 68.3 percent.

Players like Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, and Jabari Smith have seen their percentages plummet in January as the Rockets continue to give away points at the free-throw line. Most NBA games, especially in the playoffs, are close, contested matchups where every point matters. If the Rockets want to take that next step this season and win consistently, they have to improve from the free-throw line, or it will continue to cost them games.