For much of the first half of the season, the Houston Rockets were a defensive powerhouse, ranking second only to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This strong defensive performance helped propel them up the Western Conference standings. However, recent struggles have seen them slip to fourth in defensive rating, coinciding with a six-game losing streak before their recent win over the Toronto Raptors.
Injuries have played a significant role in their decline, with forward Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) and guard Fred VanVleet (ankle) sidelined. All-Star center Alperen Sengun (back) is also a game-time decision for their upcoming match against the Suns. The Rockets have also faced challenges with communication on defense, which they hope to resolve during the All-Star break.
On the other side, the Phoenix Suns are also struggling, having dropped one game under .500 with a recent loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Reports of shopping All-Star forward Kevin Durant at the trade deadline highlight their underwhelming campaign. Despite Durant’s milestone of surpassing 30,000 career points, the Suns are now focusing on what they can control as they fight for a postseason play-in tournament spot.
The Suns will look to Durant, who returned from a sprained ankle to score 34 points in his last game, to lead them against the Rockets. However, with the team’s recent form, it will be a challenging task.
