Houston Is Losing Ground in the Western Conference Race

The Houston Rockets have played some uninspired basketball recently, losing each of their last four games. It's their longest losing streak of the season, erasing their progress in the four-game win streak before the skid. Two losses against the Brooklyn Nets exposed the Rockets' unflattering elements, even after Alperen Sengun's return. Houston's poor play is a concern as the team falls further behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

The margins were already paper-thin when the Rockets held the West's second seed. Memphis consistently stayed right behind Houston, even winning games without Ja Morant, the team's best player.

Houston's difficulties coincided with an injury to its best player, Sengun. Fred VanVleet also missed some time during this stretch, forcing the team to play without its two best offensive initiators. Jalen Green and Amen Thompson did their best to play the hero during these games but didn't create an efficient offense with their efforts.

Green averaged 22 points during Houston's four-game losing streak. His average suffered from a 13-point performance in a shocking loss to the Brooklyn Nets, but his efficiency was subpar in each game. He shot just 36 percent from the floor on high volume. He took 88 shots in four games, making just 32 a stretch of inefficient shooting.

Thompson had a few standout games during the streak but also had a few letdowns. His high marks came in his games against the Grizzlies and the New York Knicks. He finished with 21 points against Memphis and a 25-point triple-double against the Knicks. Thompson followed each of those performances with single-digit scoring games against the Nets. He averaged 7.5 points in Houston's two matchups against Brooklyn and made critical, clutch mistakes against both New York-based teams.

Thompson was slightly more efficient than Green, shooting 42 percent through Houston's four-game losing streak. However, both players are more efficient when they can depend on one of their elite initiators.

Houston got Sengun back against the Nets, and he immediately made an impact. He finished with a 20-20 game in points and rebounds after missing a few games due to injury. It wasn't enough to win, but he showed he was still just as effective as before, maybe even more so after a few games rest.

However, even Sengun is more effective when he can benefit from VanVleet's passing. Unfortunately for Houston, VanVleet doesn't have a determined timeline for return. Head Coach Ime Udoka claims VanVleet is week-to-week, and the evaluation process has no set end date.

Jabari Smith Jr. is also still out of the lineup for the Rockets, and there aren't any firm updates on his return either.

The Rockets can't expect help from the cavalry anytime soon, but they can't afford to continue losing games and fall behind in the West. Houston has a big test on Thursday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the losing streak could extend to five straight games. That's the worst-case scenario for a team that held the No. 2 seed for a significant stretch this season.

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