The Houston Rockets are suddenly facing adversity they hadn’t encountered earlier this season. And there’s no signs of it slowing down.
Houston’s slide continued Sunday night with a 111-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings, marking the Rockets’ third straight defeat and their fourth loss in the last five games. Once firmly entrenched among the Western Conference’s elite, Houston now finds itself in a free fall. They’ve slipped to seventh in the standings at 22-14 as the playoff race tightens.
The loss itself was troubling enough. Sacramento entered the game riding a seven-game losing streak and sitting near the bottom of the conference, yet the Kings controlled the contest and closed it out with relative comfort. For Houston, it was the kind of loss that raises bigger questions about focus and execution.
Complicating matters was an unusual logistical wrinkle that may have contributed to the Rockets’ flat performance. According to Marc J. Spears of ESPN, Houston was unable to secure a hotel in Sacramento following its previous game. The team instead stayed overnight in San Francisco before making the drive to Golden 1 Center on game day.
“The Rockets have now lost three games in a row after falling at struggling Sacramento,” Spears reported. “FWIW, the Rockets couldn’t find a hotel in Sacramento last night, stayed in San Francisco instead and drove this afternoon straight to Golden Center. The Kings end seven-game losing streak.”
While travel fatigue and disrupted preparation may have played a role, the Rockets aren’t hiding behind excuses. The reality is that Houston has struggled on both ends of the floor during this recent stretch. They’ve failed to sustain their defensive intensity and offensive rhythm that fueled its strong start to the season.
Against Sacramento, the Rockets looked a step slow. They allowed the Kings to dictate tempo and capitalize on key stretches. The loss underscored a growing concern, and that’s the fact that Houston’s margin for error in the West is shrinking by the day.
Still, there is an opportunity for a reset. The Rockets will finally return home this week, where they are set to open a five-game homestand beginning Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls. The extended stay in Houston offers a chance to regroup and address the issues that have surfaced during this skid.
For a contending team still learning how to navigate the grind of an NBA season, the current slump may prove to be a defining moment. How the Rockets respond, starting with their return home, will go a long way in determining whether this stretch becomes a brief stumble or the start of a more concerning trend.