Houston Rockets: Extended Streak Overextends Team

It was the right idea but at the wrong time.

Winning 22 games in a row, the last 10 without All-Star center Yao Ming, may have proved to be the undoing of the Houston Rockets.

After soaring from also-rans to the top of the Western Conference, the Rockets have now dropped three out of their last four games, all to playoff teams by rather large margins.

The Detroit Pistons broke Houston’s 22-game streak on Tuesday with a resounding 20-point rout, winning 94-74. Then New Orleans followed up with a 21-point drubbing, 90-69, on Wednesday.

On Friday, the Rockets finally got back on the winning track, squeezing past Golden State, the eighth seed in the West, 109-106.

But tonight, Houston found themselves on the losing end of a 122-113 score at the hands of the Phoenix Suns.

Offensively, the Rockets were up to par. Tracy McGrady had 30 points and nine assists and eight rebounds while Luis Scola had 16 points and six rebounds. Rafer Alston added 15 points, Shane Battier 14 points, and Bobby Jackson, 13 points.

But where was the Rockets’ defense?

They allowed the Suns to shoot 57 percent for the game, an incredible 76 percent in the first half.

The Rockets’ defense allowed Amare Stoudemire to rack up 38 points, including a Suns record 20-for-20 from the free throw line. Stoudemire also had 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Shaquille O’Neal scored 23 points—the most he’s scored since coming to Phoenix—and added 13 rebounds. Raja Bell, who played for the injured Leandro Barbosa, contributed 21 points.

To be fair, the loss to the Hornets and tonight’s loss were the second games of back-to-backs. The Rockets have played four games in just five nights.

That’s enough to make any team leg-weary.

Nevertheless, the road doesn’t get much easier. The Rockets still have seven road games while playing only five at home. But only three of those road games are against quality opponents—the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Utah Jazz. Fortunately, they get to play Phoenix at home.

So, the question that Rick Adelman must be asking himself is whether or not the poor showing over the last four games is a result their schedule or has the team peaked way too early.

If it’s a case of the former, the Rockets can regroup and challenge both New Orleans and San Antonio for the lead in their division. But if it’s a case of the latter, then the Rockets will be fighting for their playoff lives over the next 12 games.

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