Houston Rockets' Defense Plunges Amid Two-Game Losing Skid: 'A Lot of Inconsistencies'

The Houston Rockets ended their recent road trip on a two-game losing streak, as their defense plunges towards the bottom of the league.

The Houston Rockets ended their three-game road trip with a 135-130 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday night inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Despite losing by five points, the Rockets arguably had their worst defensive performance.

They gave up a season-high in points, and for the second consecutive night, Houston allowed a player to have a big scoring performance, as Donovan Mitchell finished with 37 points on 14 of 27 shooting. He scored 20 en route to helping the Cavaliers score 40 points in the third quarter.

The two-game losing streak is a testament to the defensive decline the Rockets have experienced after establishing themselves as one of the top teams on defense. 

"There's been a lot of inconsistencies," coach Ime Udoka said. "We've been making the same mistakes. I could go across the board. There's been a lack of toughness. Getting out hustled. Getting out-rebounded on the offensive glass. Closing out on guys we are not supposed to guard. I can go across the board and show things that we have not done well."

The success the Rockets experienced at the start of the season depended upon their defense.

After defeating the San Antonio Spurs in a 93-82 victory on Dec. 11, Houston had the second-best defense in the league. They had a defensive rating of 107.4 while holding opponents to 105.1 points — only the Minnesota Timberwolves had a better defense. 

But after back-to-back trips to Milwaukee and Cleveland, the Rockets' defense has plunged to the bottom of the league. They have since ranked 28th in defense, with a net rating of 130.2 while giving up an average of 131.5 points.

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and center Jarrett Allen reach for a rebound beside Rockets center Alperen Sengun and forward Tari Eason / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

In Sunday's loss to the Bucks, Damian Lillard finished with a season-high 39 points on 11 of 19 shooting, 5 of 8 from behind the arc. 

"Our defense will continue to be a strength," Fred VanVleet said. "It's going to be a long season of ups and downs. No one is at the best of what they do while playing all 82 games. But we will look at the film to see what the issue is.

"Over the last two nights, it did feel like there was a lack of attention to detail while playing two of the best guards in the league. But outside of that, there have been a lot of blown coverages, offensive rebounds and losing loose balls. All of those things are uncharacteristic for us."  

The Rockets' defense has declined significantly over the previous two games. However, one reason for their lackluster defensive performances may be the result of their schedule.

With a back-to-back against the Bucks and Cavaliers, the Rockets did not hold practices or walkthroughs to fix their defensive mishaps. Udoka believes having the proper time to correct mistakes is vital, especially for a young team. 

However, while staying true to the theme of his introductory press conference, "Youth is not an excuse."

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"When you have a back-to-back, you don't have [a chance] to go through certain things against a new team you haven't faced yet," Udoka said. "But there isn't an excuse. We touched on it two or three times, still. But the things we talk about, they have to translate — bottom line."