Numbers Don't Lie the Rockets Have Struggled in the Fourth and Clutch Situations

The Houston Rockets collapse again in the fourth quarter as they see another big lead disappear in loss to the Knicks

Feb 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka on the sideline against the Charlotte Hornets during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Numbers dont Lie The Rockets have struggled in the Fourth and Clutch Game Situations

Another big lead and another big lead loss for the Houston Rockets. It has been an all-too-familiar theme this season. Even though the Rockets came into Saturday night with a 34-20 record, which was good for fourth in the Western Conference, that record could have been even better if not for several late-game collapses that cost the Rockets wins.

Two of the most egregious collapses were against two of the worst teams in the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings. The Rockets blew a 25-point lead to the Pelicans on December 18th, the largest blown lead by any team this season, and a week later blew another double-digit lead, this time to the Sacramento Kings.

In both instances, the Rockets collapsed in the fourth quarter, scoring only 20 points against the Pelicans and 21 against the Kings. Neither team is known for its defense, which makes it even more puzzling that the Rockets' offense disappeared in both games. History repeated itself for the Rockets in last night’s 108-106 loss. The Rockets' offense again disappeared in the fourth quarter as they suffered another devastating fourth-quarter collapse.

The Rockets Have One of Their Worst Fourth Quarter of the Season

The Rockets got off to a slow start Saturday night, turning the ball over several times in the first quarter, a precursor to what was to come. The Rockets finally started limiting their turnovers and took a lead into halftime. The third quarter was even better as the Rockets had their best offensive quarter of the night, scoring 37 points and taking a sizeable 16-point lead into the fourth quarter.

That is when the wheels started to fall off as the Rockets couldn't hold onto the ball, and when they did, they couldn't make shots. A bad combination, especially in the fourth quarter. The Rockets only made two baskets between the 8:50 mark and the last minute of the game. They turned the ball over nine times in the fourth and only made five baskets.

The Rockets had their chances late as both Jabari Smith and Kevin Durant missed go ahead 3-pointers with the Rockets trailing by two points.

The poor shooting and turnovers were the main reasons the Knicks had their biggest fourth-quarter comeback of the season. The Rockets' disappearing in the clutch is something that has happened all too often this season. The Rockets are only 14-16 in clutch games, ranking in the bottom ten in win percentage, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage.

The Rockets are still well-positioned to finish as a top-four seed in the Western Conference. They are 34-21 and still have time to fix their mistakes. However, if the Rockets want home court in the first round and go deep in the playoffs, they have to fix their late-game issues sooner rather than later.