The Rockets Take On the Top of the East

The Detroit Pistons made the Houston Rockets look sloppy on offense during one of Houston's toughest losses of the season. Unlike a blowout loss in which nothing works, the Rockets had opportunities to close the deficit and even held leads throughout the game. Houston couldn't stop making mistakes when it mattered, leading to a difficult loss at the hands of Cade Cunningham and the Pistons.

Houston doesn't have long to clean up their effort, as they'll play against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference for another test of their progress.

The Rockets have a few days of rest before they host the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in back-to-back contests over the span of just a few days. Cleveland has just six losses this season, but has lost two of their last five contests.

The Cavaliers are in the top five for several significant offensive statistics this year. They're the second-ranked team in points per game and field goal percentage. They also have the top three-point shooting percentage in the league. Cleveland hands out the fifth-most assists per game in the league while also sitting at No. 4 for the least turnovers per game.

The defensive stats aren't as impressive, but Cleveland has one of the top offenses in the NBA. Star guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell led the team with their ability to pass, shoot, and finish at the rim. The Cavaliers haven't suffered much from the smaller size of both players; they've got a roster filled with quality big men to make up for it such as Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

For Houston to win, it will need to continue playing strong defense, and can't allow the team to have poor offensive effort like they had against the Detroit Pistons. Turnovers will sink the Rockets' chances if they don't take care of the ball.

The same is true for their next opponent after back-to-back games against Cleveland: The Boston Celtics.

Last year's champions have some missteps this season, losing to lesser teams like the Atlanta Hawks and the Toronto Raptors. However, the Celtics are in the top ten for several defensive and offensive statistics. Boston is still a team to be reckoned with, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are quietly putting up quality seasons. They are one of the most complete teams in the league with players like Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis providing strong production outside of their two stars.

The Rockets hosted Boston earlier this season, suffering one of their most lopsided losses of the season. The Celtics displayed each of the elements that helped them win a championship last year: shooting, defending, and rebounding.

Houston's formula for victory should be the same as their gameplan for the Cavaliers. The Rockets must take care of the ball, and they have to show more energy on the court on both sides of the ball.

The Rockets will have to be nearly perfect against both of these teams to have a chance at winning against either opponent. Houston is hoping its lackluster effort against the Pistons is out of its system before going on to some of the most difficult matchups in the league.

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