Mired in their fourth three-game skid this season, the Houston Rockets have suddenly lost the same defensive identity that yielded their unexpectedly positive start to this campaign.
The Rockets had their 11-game homecourt winning streak snapped on Wednesday with a 134-127 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Houston, which will host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, allowed the Hawks to shoot 51.6 percent from the floor and make 17 3-pointers, including 13 of 26 from behind the arc in the first half.
During the skid, the Rockets — who still ranked sixth in the NBA in defensive rating at 110.4 entering Thursday — are allowing 131.1 points per 100 possessions. Only the Charlotte Hornets have been worse defensively during that stretch, making the Rockets’ objective against Dallas crystal clear.
Of equal concern for Houston is a sudden inability to control the defensive glass. The Rockets’ 60.5 percent defensive rebounding rate during their three-game skid ranks dead last in the league.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers hurt Houston with their effectiveness in corralling offensive rebounds, and while the Hawks converted 12 offensive boards into a modest 15 second-chance points, the timing of some of those baskets proved especially debilitating.
With their 120-111 setback to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, the Mavericks suffered their third loss in four games. Injury attrition has left the Mavericks vulnerable, both in the backcourt and frontcourt, as guard Kyrie Irving (heel) missed his sixth consecutive game while Dallas was also without centers Maxi Kleber (toe) and Dereck Lively II (ankle).
Still, despite their short-handed rotation, the Mavericks rallied from a 22-point, first-half deficit and led in the fourth quarter before succumbing down the stretch.
Dallas’ pivot to a small-ball lineup featuring slender 6-foot-5 forward Derrick Jones Jr and sturdy 6-6 forward Grant Williams sharing time at center played a critical role in helping the Mavericks’ rally.
That success might have laid the groundwork for Dallas to keep tinkering with smaller lineups.
