Shoulders slumped, feet shuffling and eyes downcast, a defeated Houston Rockets team retreated to its bench after the third quarter of a 111-95 loss to the Boston Celtics.
The remaining 12 minutes didn't matter. Down 19 (the deficit later grew to as much as 29) at the end of the third after being tied at halftime, the Rockets were finished. The most concerning aspect of their demise Monday was its familiarity.
Houston dropped its fourth straight game because it played indifferent defense and suffered from bone-dry scoring droughts. And all of it stemmed from a curious combination of poor effort and the absence of urgency. You know, the things head coach Kevin McHale's been complaining about for a week.
There were lots of ways to describe how Houston gave in, but the gist was generally the same.
The unanimity from observers really drives the point home:
Aside from some promising minutes during the second quarter (when they went with a zone look), the Rockets simply refused to defend. Whether it was getting beaten backdoor on basic cuts, failing to help the helper on drives or simply losi ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Grant Hughes
Houston Rockets Defense Continues to Be Glaring Issue and Monday NBA Takeaways
November 16th, 2015 by Grant Hughes Leave a reply »
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