Rockets Become 8th Team in NBA History to Lose 20 Straight Games in a Season
March 21, 2021
The Houston Rockets, who started the season 11-10, have now fallen to 11-30 after losing their 20th straight game following a 114-112 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
Per The Athletic, Houston became the eighth team in NBA history to lose 20 or more straight games. The Philadelphia 76ers hold the all-time losing streak mark at 28, set over the end of the 2014-15 season and the beginning of the 2015-16 campaign.
The 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Sixers share the single-season record with 26 straight defeats.
It's been a trying season for the Rockets, who ushered in a new era after trading Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards and then James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team deal in January. Houston has had difficulty establishing chemistry or rhythm because of injuries and NBA health and safety protocols.
The Rockets have been forced to suit up 23 players this year, and only one of them (Jae'Sean Tate) has played in every game.
Houston owns the second-worst record in the Western Conference, and at this point, it is merely playing out the string of a lost season. The Rockets will look to get back on track when they host the Toronto Raptors (17-24) on Monday.