Such is the current state that loss a plus
With defense especially crippled by injuries, hopeful signs emerge from Thunder setback
The Rockets’ slide cannot be entirely about the injured players, or at least they cannot allow themselves to believe that it is.
But it is telling about how quickly things have changed that a week after the Rockets had a 14-game winning streak and the NBA’s best record they could consider a loss a step in the right direction. Monday’s 112-107 defeat in Oklahoma City was an intense, competitive road loss to a hot team.
“If we continue to play like this, I’ll take our chances against other teams,” guard Eric Gordon said. “We can also get better at the same time, as long as we stay solid, move the ball like we were doing and continue to play pretty good defense.
“Injuries are still a part of the game. We have to fight through it.”
The Rockets hope to get Chris Paul back from his strained groin muscle either Thursday in Boston or Friday in Washington. Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said Paul is unlikely to play in both games of the back-to-back. Forward Luc Mbah a Moute re-
mains out with a dislocated shoulder.
Paul and Mbah a Moute are critical to the Rockets’ defense, but the falloff has been dramatic.
“Guys are playing a little bit too many minutes,” guard James Harden said. “Our defense isn’t really there consistently. We just have to fight through it. It’s a long season. We’ll be all right.”
During the three-game losing streak, the Rockets’ defensive rating has been the worst in the NBA as they have allowed 119.6 points per 100 possessions. They have allowed 111 per 100 possessions in the past 10 games, ranking 29th. Before they returned to Houston for a seven-game homestand, the Rockets ranked fifth in the NBA defensively. They have fallen to 11th.
“Our defense tailed off and we had three of our best defenders (Paul, Mbah a Moute and Clint Capela, who returned on Monday) on the bench not playing,” D’Antoni said. “You add minutes to Trevor (Ariza’s) legs and everybody else so they’re kind of tired. The defense has fallen off. Hopefully, we can get there sooner than later.
“(Injuries) are a lot of it. Trevor is (playing) 40 minutes. He gets tired chasing everybody around and having to score. (Getting players back) would keep guys fresher. We’ve shown we can defend. There will be no doubt in my mind.”
Oklahoma City made 54.1 percent of its shots, but the Rockets believed they defender better — other than in the opening minutes — than they had in the previous two games.
A strong bench weak?
When D’Antoni was asked whether he had concerns about the Rockets that are not tied to the injuries, he quickly said “no, none at all” and specifically cited the fourth quarter against the Thunder when the Rockets struggled through the stretch Paul typically runs the offense and then seemed to run out of gas. The Rockets made just 1 of 11 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, making just 33.3 percent of their shots overall in the quarter as the Thunder took the win.
“We had five or six, seven straight stops at the start of the fourth,” D’Antoni said. “We couldn’t score. We had 19 (points) in the fourth because James sits for five or six minutes. We have a solution to that. There’s no doubt.
“We got to get healthy and see where we are. Obviously, we try to get better. But before we make any big statements, we just got to see how we are when we get our guys back.”
Still, the Rockets’ struggles since the injuries might demonstrate that a team with an unusually strong bench can also be considered thin.
Nene has struggled, especially when Capela missed three of four games. Briante’ Weber, on a twoway contract with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, has filled in off the bench and was tenacious defensively on Monday. But he was not a threat to score and D’Antoni did not have him match up with Russell Westbrook, giving Ariza or Gordon the tougher assignment.
‘Just bring it’
The Rockets’ bench managed just eight points on 3 of 13 shooting.
“Just stay with it,” Ariza said. “We can’t really focus on who’s out or who’s in. We just have to be ready to play and play hard. You can’t worry about who is hurt or let anything like that take away from what we’re doing. Whoever is out there, just bring it.”
The three-game losing streak is the Rockets’ longest of the season. But after the disheartening losses to the Clippers and Lakers, the loss to the Thunder was viewed as improvement — and one game closer to when reinforcements arrive.
“That’s what we talked about,” Harden said. “This was a step back to where we need to be. Played hard. Competed at a high level. Be resilient. Keep fighting. Keep playing for each other. And things will turn.”