Almost one year later to the day, the Rockets found a nearly identical fate in Friday\u2019s 98-78 home loss (box score<\/a>) to the Lakers. In winning Game 6 at Toyota Center, Los Angeles clinched the best-of-seven series, 4-2, to advance to the second round of the 2026 playoffs.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, for a second straight year, Houston\u2019s season is ending late in the first round.<\/p>\n In this case, the result was even worse, comparatively. The 2026 Rockets scored 11 fewer points for the game, relative to that 2025 series-ending loss to the Warriors, and 20 of Friday\u2019s 78 came in the final minutes of a blowout \u2014 after the Lakers had taken an 81-58 lead with only seven minutes left to play.<\/p>\n The Rockets scored just 31 points in the first half, and 14 came in the game\u2019s opening six minutes. Led by LeBron James (28 points, 8 assists), the Lakers went on an extended 27-3 run midway through the half to grab firm control.<\/p>\n Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!<\/a><\/p>\n Houston shot just 5-of-28 from 3-point range (17.9%) for the game, and two of the five makes came in the closing minutes \u2014 after the game was long decided. A third came in the game\u2019s opening seconds.<\/p>\n \u201cKudos to JJ (Redick),\u201d Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. said of the Lakers\u2019 head coach. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t get no offense going. They had a real tight game plan; switching everything, loading up, taking care of the glass. They just came out really focused.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c(Deandre) Ayton was switching, (Jaxson) Hayes was switching,\u201d Smith elaborated<\/a>. \u201cThen, they\u2019d go small. We couldn\u2019t generate penetration or paint touches.\u201d<\/p>\n Relative to 2025, the idea to fix the halfcourt offense was upgrading the role of \u201ctop scorer\u201d from Jalen Green to Kevin Durant<\/a>, all while keeping similar supporting pieces. But Durant, 37, only played in one of six playoff games due to injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the expected supporting cast of veterans never materialized. Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams were both lost to season-ending injuries<\/a>, and Dorian Finney-Smith \u2014 signed to backfill the role of Dillon Brooks, who went with Green to Phoenix in the Durant trade \u2014 never appeared healthy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Those developments left even more responsibility on the plates of Houston\u2019s \u201cyoung core\u201d of first-round prospects, all added during the franchise\u2019s recent rebuild<\/a> to begin the 2020s.<\/p>\n With key veterans either unavailable or underperforming, Houston started its final four games against the Lakers with its five most heralded prospects \u2014 Smith, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, and Alperen Sengun \u2014 all in the starting lineup. Each is 24 years old or younger.<\/p>\n And collectively, their performances on offense were not nearly good enough to win a playoff series. Even if Game 6 is viewed as something of a shooting outlier, the series-long offensive numbers went as follows:<\/p>\n Sengun: 20.3 points, 4.7 assists, 3.0 turnovers; 46.5% shooting, 12.5% on 3s, 69.0% on free throwsThompson: 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 2.5 turnovers; 48.8% shooting, 25.0% on 3s, 70.7% on free throwsSmith: 17.5 points, 1.8 assists; 38.8% shooting, 37.3% on 3s, 76.9% on free throwsEason: 13.8 points, 1.7 assists; 47.7% shooting, 33.3% on 3sSheppard: 12.2 points, 4.7 assists, 2.0 turnovers; 30.7% shooting, 29.6% on 3s, 75.0% on free throws<\/p>\n There\u2019s also the question of roster fit, as head coach Ime Udoka alluded to postgame<\/a>. On offense, neither Sengun nor Thompson is a regular 3-point shooter, which complicates floor spacing. Defensively, Sengun and Sheppard both have limitations. Neither Smith nor Eason is a consistent shot creator or playmaker.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do need to address some needs,\u201d Udoka told reporters<\/a>. \u201cThe lack of shooting at times. Whether it\u2019s a backup point guard or (if) our young guys did enough this year to run that when Fred\u2019s back. We\u2019ll take a look at all those things. We\u2019ll have some very interesting conversations. Having a little bit more of a mix instead of some duplicates out there.\u201d<\/p>\n There are no reports of Udoka or general manager Rafael Stone having any job-security concerns, and it\u2019s not as if going 52-30 in an injury plagued season was a total disaster. Both are expected to meet with media members early next week<\/a> to preview the 2026 offseason.<\/p>\n So, assuming the team\u2019s leadership remains in place, what comes next?<\/p>\n Led by Stone, the Rockets can perhaps look to swap out some veteran role players further down the depth chart \u2014 think Jae\u2019Sean Tate, Josh Okogie, and Aaron Holiday \u2014 for different player archetypes. Shooting, ball-handling, and playmaking could all be desired attributes.<\/p>\n Maybe the pool of assistant coaches on Udoka\u2019s bench can change, potentially with the team seeking better skills development.<\/p>\n But in light of the extreme offensive futility that ended both of the last two playoff runs, it\u2019s hard to envision assistant coaching changes or low-cost moves around the margins significantly moving the needle. And yet again, the Rockets are not projected to have financial flexibility<\/a> beneath the NBA\u2019s 2026-27 salary cap.<\/p>\n So, what\u2019s the move? The Rockets could simply bank on continuity and development, with the \u201cyoung core\u201d getting another year together and perhaps with better health from the higher-profile veterans such as Durant, VanVleet, and Adams.<\/p>\n VanVleet should help mitigate turnovers<\/a> and organize the offense as a point guard, while Adams\u2019 offensive rebounding prowess inside<\/a> often provides additional opportunities to score.<\/p>\n But as Finney-Smith showed in 2025-26, it isn\u2019t always a given that players in their 30s will return to full health in their first season following leg surgery. Furthermore, Durant will be 38 years old by the time training camp for the 2026-27 season opens in late September, and it remains to be seen how much longer he can keep playing at an All-Star level.<\/p>\n So, the question becomes: Are those additions enough to get Houston over its current hump and seriously contending for a title? Each of the last two seasons have featured matching 52-30 records and first-round playoff exits, with a lack of halfcourt offense as the team\u2019s obvious deficiency.<\/p>\n And in 2025, VanVleet and Adams were part of a playoff team with that same glaring weakness (though in fairness, they did not yet have Durant).<\/p>\n If largely staying the course isn\u2019t enough, what moves of greater significance might be available? For a franchise that is now 31 years and counting since its last NBA championship, bold choices could be in order.<\/p>\n Similar to the June 2025 Durant deal, the Rockets could attempt to trade for another veteran star<\/a>, using young players and\/or their warchest of future draft assets<\/a>. But having a top-heavy roster with two aging stars (and the assets that have to go out to facilitate each deal) might significantly reduce the team\u2019s desired timeline<\/a> for potential contention.<\/p>\n They could perhaps look to move off one or more players from the \u201cyoung core\u201d in search of a better roster fit, but that plan also carries risk and no clear answers. Sengun, for instance, is a two-time All-Star at just 23 years old. Sheppard is not even two years removed from being the NBA\u2019s No. 3 overall draft pick in June 2024, when he was viewed as a potentially generational shooting prospect<\/a>.<\/p>\n For a team that already has clear offensive limitations, taking away that type of talent might reduce its upside even more. Moreover, it\u2019s not as if impactful young players on reasonable contracts are readily available via trade.<\/p>\n The Rockets could even take a temporary step back, with the team trading a marquee established piece (such as Sengun or Durant) for an \u201cupside\u201d package headlined by youth and\/or future draft capital. But would Rockets ownership, led by Tilman Fertitta, greenlight a major change in direction after the pain of Houston\u2019s recent rebuild?<\/p>\n Generally, acquiring a perennial All-Star and future Hall of Famer like Durant suggests a win-now emphasis, and that\u2019s typically good for business<\/a>.<\/p>\n Moderate, in-between paths will certainly be available, as well. For example, Finney-Smith will effectively be on an expiring contract<\/a>, and he can be used to match salary in a trade. Maybe the Rockets can package Finney-Smith, Clint Capela (who fell out of the playoff rotation), and limited future draft capital for a more established role player to fit around the existing team structure.<\/p>\n But would that type of move \u2014 and inherently banking on Durant, VanVleet, and Adams to maintain or return to previous form \u2014 be enough to finally get over the hump?<\/p>\n As things stand, the Rockets are a good team in an extremely competitive Western Conference<\/a>, but the last two seasons have shown a clear and consistent playoff ceiling.<\/p>\n There are different paths they can take in hopes of getting past it, but all have pros and cons. Each carries risk.<\/p>\n Yet, after seeing a second straight playoff run end in a nearly identical way, it might be time for the Rockets to consider gambling. With a pivotal offseason ahead, Fertitta, Stone, and Udoka are on the clock.<\/p>\n More: \u2018Very tough\u2019: Rockets, Kevin Durant lament ill-timed playoff injuries<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/GrpWCkylDwA\/maxresdefault.jpg\")