It Might be Time to Hit the Panic Button on the Rockets

Houston is falling behind in the Western Conference standings after an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Mar 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after scoring against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Disaster didn't take its time to settle in on Monday night like it usually does in the Houston Rockets' losses. Against the Chicago Bulls, the lapses started right away as the visitors went down by 20 points in the first quarter.

Defense has been a bigger strength for the Rockets this season compared to the other end of the floor. A team that has been plagued by a lack of facilitation, perimeter shooters and spacing fell to the Bulls because Houston failed to stop Chicago's hot shooting.

While Kevin Durant notched an incredible 40 points, followed by Alperen Şengün's 33-point triple-double and Amen Thompson's 23 points, seven Bulls players hit double-digit scoring. As much as the Rockets got elite production from their star trio, if you can't stop opponents in an offense-driven NBA, it's hard to keep up.

With this loss, the Rockets are 0-1 to start their four-game road trip, and sit at sixth in the Western Conference with a 43-28 record.

Now is not the time to be dropping games, especially against a team in the basement of the league. The Bulls have struggled on both ends of the floor since they reinvented their roster at the trade deadline, which makes this loss even more problematic. A rotation still figuring out how to play with each other outplayed Houston, which didn't make a single trade at the deadline.

It's become redundant to say that there's still time left to turn things around, but at this point, there are 11 games left in the regular season. A 50-win season and home-court advantage in the West playoff picture could be slipping sooner than the Rockets realize.

Since the All-Star break, Houston has gone 10-8. Since the start of the month, the team is 6-6. Near-.500 basketball is not good enough to stay within title contention.

As much as I'm beating a dead horse in saying this, it's true: the Rockets' lack of a true point guard is killing them. They committed 17 turnovers against a Bulls squad that ranks 22nd in defensive rating this year.

It might just be time to hit the panic button on Houston. Unless the Rockets can string together some key wins before the playoffs and take back home-court advantage, they're at serious risk of an early exit in the postseason. Right now, the goal isn't just to secure a top-four seed, but to stay out of the Play-In Tournament with the Phoenix Suns just 3.5 games behind the sixth seed.