\u201cIt was nonexistent, honestly, in every way,\u201d head coach Ime Udoka said of Houston\u2019s defense. \u201cLacked any kind of physicality or toughness just to stay in front of your guy. Just blow-by, blow-by, and that\u2019s going to collapse the defense and get to those kickout threes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWorst defensive performance of the year,\u201d Udoka concluded<\/a>.<\/p>\n With Sunday\u2019s result, Houston (39-24) dropped to No. 4 in the Western Conference standings<\/a>, while San Antonio (47-17) remains at No. 2. Should the Spurs rise to No. 1 or the Rockets climb back to No. 3, the two teams could conceivably meet in the second round of the 2026 playoffs in May.<\/p>\n For the 2025-26 regular season as a whole, San Antonio won three of its four matchups versus Houston.<\/p>\n Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!<\/a><\/p>\n Key player statistics were as follows:<\/p>\n Amen Thompson: 23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists; 8-of-15 shooting (53.3%), 7-of-8 on free throws (87.5%)Kevin Durant: 23 players, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks; 7-of-12 shooting (58.3%), 8-of-9 on free throwsJabari Smith Jr.: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists; 5-of-8 shooting (62.5%), 6-of-7 on free throws (85.7%)Alperen Sengun: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 3 assists; 7-of-12 shooting (58.3%)Reed Sheppard: 17 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 4 turnovers; 6-of-15 shooting (40.0%), 3-of-10 on 3-pointers (30.0%)Victor Wembanyama (Spurs): 29 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks; 9-of-13 shooting (69.2%), 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40.0%), 9-of-10 on free throws (90.0%)De\u2019Aaron Fox (Spurs): 20 points, 10 assists; 9-of-15 shooting (60.0%)Stephon Castle (Spurs): 23 points, 5 assists; 7-of-13 shooting (53.8%), 3-of-4 on 3-pointers (75.0%), 6-of-7 on free throws (85.7%)<\/p>\n As a team, San Antonio connected at a blistering clip from 3-point range and finished 21-of-40 (52.5%) from deep. From a math perspective, that simply overwhelmed the Rockets (8-of-28, 28.6%).<\/p>\n Many of the 3-pointers that the Spurs got came in large part to the attention drawn by Wembanyama, a franchise talent who is only 22 years old.<\/p>\n Yet, in postgame comments, Udoka bristled at the notion that Houston lacks the high-end talent to match up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the talent, no doubt,\u201d Udoka said in response to a question by the Houston Chronicle\u2019s Varun Shankar<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s identity, mentality, toughness, dog, all of that is missing right now. We\u2019ll see if we can get it back by the end of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n Relative to 2024-25, when the Rockets finished at 52-30 and No. 2 in the West, the Rockets are missing three culture setting veterans in Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, and Dillon Brooks. The first two are out with long-term leg injuries, while Brooks was traded as part of the offseason deal for Durant.<\/p>\n \u201cOur identity was being a dog,\u201d S\u0327engu\u0308n said of last season\u2019s team (via the Houston Chronicle<\/a>).<\/p>\n To say the least, it\u2019s not the identity of the team that gave up 145 points on Sunday night.<\/p>\n Next up for the Rockets is Tuesday\u2019s home matchup versus Toronto (35-27). Tipoff of Rockets-Raptors is at 7:00 p.m. Central from Toyota Center, and the game will be televised regionally on Space City Home Network<\/a> and nationally via NBA League Pass<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/y4GwlBnsMGw\/maxresdefault.jpg\")