The Houston Rockets Continue to Struggle From the Line and It's Costing Them

The Houston Rockets have come out of the All-Star break splitting their first two games. They won their first game Friday over the Minnesota Timberwolves in a hard-fought battle but fell on the second night of another back-to-back.

The Rockets' loss to the Utah Jazz had several reasons. One reason was the Rockets' defense, which gave up 37 points in the fourth quarter. They were also missing several players, as Tari Eason and Steven Adams set out their normal game when it was a back-to-back.

Another reason not talked about enough is the Rockets' poor free-throw shooting. The Rockets shot only 55% from the free-throw line, going 10-18 from the charity stripe. Missing eight free throws in a close game is a recipe for disaster.

In three of the last four losses, the Rockets have shot 71% or less from the line, and every one of the games was winnable for the Rockets. The poor shooting from the line is not just a recent development.

On the season, the Rockets are shooting only 74.7% from the line after shooting over 77% in 2023-2024. The Rockets have been in the most clutch games this season, and in close games, every point counts.

The two Rockets who take the most free throws are Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun. Green started the season shooting his best average from the line in the first three months. In the last month, Green is shooting only 63.4% from the line.

Sengun in the last month is only shooting 62.5% in the month of February and is shooting a career low from the line on the season. For Rockets who have shot ten or more free throws this month no one is shooting over 80%.

The free-throw shooting will improve with Fred VanVleet's return, but even with his return, it will only be a slight improvement, as VanVleet only goes to the line an average of 2.5 times a game.

The Rockets will need to clean this up as soon as possible. It's costing them regular-season games, but it will eventually cost them in the playoffs when almost every game comes down to the last few minutes.

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