We all know that at some point during the season a team can go through a slump. Causes may include injuries, fatigue, playing on the road, or just the fact that a team is playing a stretch of better opponents. However, the likelihood that the Houston Rockets would have lost their last four games was extremely minuscule. Just how small? According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index, the odds were only 0.5%.
The Rockets entered their four game losing streak with a record of 39 wins and 20 losses. Their losing streak started with a surprising 125-123 loss to the struggling New York Knicks (19-42) at Madison Square Garden on a night where Spike Lee’s struggles getting into the building made bigger headlines than the Knicks performance on the court.
One could understand the Rockets losing to the Los Angeles Clippers. However, the Rockets were at home, had Russell Westbrook and James Harden in their lineup, and were clearly outbeaten by a Clippers team led by Kawhi Leonard, in what could have been considered as a “statement” game.
Then on the weekend, the Rockets lost back-to-back games handily to inferior opponents–the 22 and 41 Charlotte Hornets by a score of 108-99 and then the 29 and 35 Orlando Magic handily by a score of 126-106.
One constant theme throughout the streak were the terrible starts for Houston. They trailed 73-63 to the Knicks at halftime a week ago. Then in the loss to the Clippers, the Rockets trailed Los Angeles 70-47 in a game that was considered a blowout by halftime.
The Rockets loss to the Hornets could have been considered laughable. Charlotte actually scored the first 20 points in the basketball game over the first six and a half minutes. Then in the Rockets loss to the Magic, Houston lost each of the first three quarters and were trailing Orlando 71-46 at halftime.
Expectations are high for the Rockets. With Harden and Westbrook leading the way, Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni needs to find a different systematic formula to get the Rockets going or he could be on the hot seat. Houston is currently comfortably in a playoff spot at 39 wins and 24 losses. With 11.5 games up on a playoff spot, there is no need to hit the panic button yet. However the Rockets will have to get their mojo going soon, or Western Conference teams will be licking their chops at the opportunity to play Houston in the first round of the playoffs.
