The Houston Rockets entered Monday hoping that unexpected time off (thanks to two postponements related to a winter storm) could allow them to hit the reset button after a long losing streak.
Against Zach LaVine and the surging Bulls, it didn’t quite happen that way. Sparked by a 46-point eruption in the third quarter, Chicago (14-16) won for the fourth time in five games with Monday’s 120-100 blowout (box score) at Toyota Center. It’s the eighth straight loss for the Rockets (11-18), all since the reinjury to Christian Wood’s right ankle.
The last time Houston had a longer losing streak than eight games was a 15-gamer early in the 2000-01 season.
LaVine led Chicago’s balanced effort with 21 points, and he hit 4-of-6 from 3-point range (66.7%). Meanwhile, backcourt mate Coby White scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. David Nwaba led Houston with 22 points, which tied a career-high, and 9 rebounds.
The Rockets were again undermanned, with two starters absent in Wood and Victor Oladipo (right foot strain). Yet, the regulars who did play weren’t close to good enough. Veteran guard John Wall (15 points, 7 assists) shot just 4-of-14 overall (28.6%), while backcourt Eric Gordon (13 points) shot 5-of-18 (27.8%) and 1-of-10 on 3-pointers (10.0%).
Houston returns to action on Wednesday in Cleveland, with tipoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central time. For now, here’s a collection of highlights and postgame reaction from Monday’s poor showing.
When asked about ending the 8 game losing streak, Coach Silas called this a “pride thing, a togetherness thing…a mindset thing and at some point, the mindset has to change.”
He said he felt the defense was unraveling from the start of the game. They need to be better.
— Cayleigh Griffin (@cayleighgriffin) February 23, 2021
An angry Stephen Silas: “It’s a pride thing. It’s a togetherness thing. It’s not even an attention to details thing or a scheme thing or whatever. It’s a mindset thing. At some point the mindset needs to change because the way we’re starting games, 22-7 to start the game…” pic.twitter.com/42C0mtJJEK
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) February 23, 2021
Stephen Silas: “Regardless of what happens, David Nwaba and Sterling Brown are on it as far as playing hard, taking what the defense gives them, not letting adversity get to them.”
Says there was a “difference” between the bench and the starting group.
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) February 23, 2021
Silas said it’s not the scheme. It’s a “mindset thing.” He scoffed at the team giving up 46 points in the third quarter. “We’ve got to do better.”
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) February 23, 2021
Stephen Silas thought the Rockets succumbed to adversity after Zach LaVine started to get hot in the 3rd quarter
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) February 23, 2021
Silas felt right from the beginning of the game that they didn’t have the right defensive intensity and chemistry.
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) February 23, 2021
Stephen Silas on Justin Patton’s debut: “Played good. He was active on the defensive end. Got three blocked shots, played hard. He was good.” pic.twitter.com/UPiqlowbzR
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) February 23, 2021
Silas on Zach LaVine’s third quarter: “I think him getting hot caused some adversity that we handle correctly. Adversity comes we have at times had a tendency to succumb to that adversity and just let them do what they want to do and that was the case tonight.” pic.twitter.com/Nv1JESSyrz
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) February 23, 2021
David Nwaba on the eight game losing streak: “Its a long season. We can turn it around.”
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) February 23, 2021
Eric Gordon on losing eight straight games: “The flow of the game isn’t really flowing with us right now…It’s been tough. We all are in a little bit of a funk.”
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) February 23, 2021
“We have a team where there is a small margin for error,” said Eric Gordon when I asked him about having 3 good days of practice only to lose two key players before the game today. #Rockets pic.twitter.com/10N7QuEsIi
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) February 23, 2021
