Normally one of the NBA’s better defensive teams, the Houston Rockets are encountering difficulties protecting the paint and are on their longest losing streak in a season during which they are ascending toward the top of the Western Conference.
The Rockets will attempt to halt their three-game losing streak Tuesday night when they conclude a back-to-back set with a visit to the Brooklyn Nets, who have won two games in a row overall but are on an 11-game home losing streak and most recently won there two months ago.
Houston allows an average of 108.8 points per game — sixth-best scoring defense in the league — but in the past three games, it is allowing 118 points. On Monday, the Rockets allowed 80 points in the paint and gave up a 46-point fourth quarter in a 124-118 road loss to the New York Knicks.
The Rockets also allowed 60 points in the paint in Saturday’s 110-98 home loss to the Nets and 72 to the Memphis Grizzlies in a 120-119 loss on Thursday. Overall, the Rockets are allowing an average of 48.9 points in the paint this season.
Houston’s rough performances defending the paint coincide with center Alperen Sengun missing each game due to a left calf bruise. Sengun played every game until the injury in a 100-96 win on Jan. 28 against the Atlanta Hawks. The Rockets conceded 46 points inside.
“Very soft and uncompetitive defensively,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said after the Monday night loss to New York. “Just going at us 1-on-1. We’re complaining about offensive fouls, not boxing out, not doing our assignment, getting back cuts, off ball actions. It adds up to 46. We scored enough to win.”
Sengun could be out again Tuesday, and if he sits, Jae’Sean Tate and Steven Adams will see the bulk of the time at center. Tate played 22 minutes on Monday while Adams played 26.
The Rockets also will be without Fred VanVleet, who is week-to-week after exiting their game on Saturday with an injured right ankle. Tari Eason started for VanVleet on Monday, scoring 12, as the lineup was led by Amen Thompson’s 25 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds.
The Nets will attempt to win three straight games for the second time this season and get their first home win since a nine-point victory over the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 4. Brooklyn is 7-23 since winning three in a row on a western trip Nov. 24-27 and returns home for six games after scoring 110 for the first time since its 132-114 win at Portland on Jan. 14.
Brooklyn’s home losing streak is the third-longest in franchise history, behind only a 14-game home skid in 2010 and a 16-game slide in 2017. The Nets have been held under 100 in nine straight home games.
The Nets will attempt to end the skid with continued minutes for some younger players since Cameron Johnson (right ankle) will miss his fifth straight game and sit for the 13th time in 16 games, though his name has popped up in trade rumors ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
“Everybody handles it in a different way,” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said. “I think after [Monday’s] practice, the energy was great, so I didn’t see anything different. I know that the majority of them may think about it, but let’s get through it together and see what happens.”
The Nets hope Tuesday looks like Saturday, when Ziaire Williams scored 21 to lead six players in double figures in a game when they shot 49.4 percent from the field after shooting 48.8 percent in a 104-83 win at Charlotte on Wednesday.
