HOUSTON — By the time Moses Moody’s outstretched fingertip secured yet another second-chance opportunity for the Golden State Warriors with 8:11 remaining in the first half — a stark contrast in effort from the sluggish Houston Rockets — Ime Udoka had seen enough.
The composite body language of the players as they sauntered off the floor during the ensuing timeout was a microcosm of the team’s performances over the last two weeks. And it didn’t matter what Udoka tried to do to inspire his players or send a message — including benching his starters at the tail end of the second quarter and for the majority of the second half. It was clear this team had hit a wall.
We could be mentally and physically fried,” Udoka said following Thursday’s 105-98 loss to Golden State. “But everybody’s in the situation right now going into the break. Maybe our guys are tired, but … a lack of competitiveness is not an excuse. Everyone is dealing with the same thing — we’re a little injured, obviously — but it was night and day seeing the bench come in and play with physicality, ball movement, togetherness and unselfishness.”
Heading into the All-Star break, the Rockets could use a reset. Yes, this team has been banged up recently, and the losses of both Jabari Smith Jr. and Fred VanVleet (along with the game management of Tari Eason) have stung, even for a team that praised its depth for months. And, yes, few individuals would have pegged the Rockets to even be a top-five seed in the Western Conference at the start of the season. But Houston is in a deep funk.
The Rockets have now lost seven of their last 11 games. They were fortunate to beat bad Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns teams recently, but still have to deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks coming right out of the break. Over the last two weeks, the Rockets are 25th in offensive rating, 15th in defensive rating and 17th in net rating, all according to Cleaning the Glass. During this same span, Houston is 28th in 3-point percentage, 28th in assists and 20th in turnovers per game.
Half-court possessions, especially in VanVleet’s absence, have become increasingly worrisome. Against the Warriors on Thursday, the Rockets scored a meager 68.0 points per 100 half-court plays (according to Cleaning the Glass). That’s an astonishingly low number for a team that has shifted discussions from merely making the playoffs to embarking on a run. A few weeks ago, the thought of Houston willing its way to the Western Conference finals was more than a passing thought, as they sat second in the West behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets were the only team to have beaten the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Thunder this season. Now, it’s more plausible to see them being sent home in the first round.
