Rockets' Recent Struggles Represented By 'Dog Days' Of NBA Season

After dropping their third consecutive game in a loss to the Spurs, coach Stephen Silas says the Houston Rockets are in the dog days of an NBA season.

HOUSTON — Coach Stephen Silas had a hard time trying to express his displeasure with the Houston Rockets Monday night. But there was one moment He felt best summarized their dull performance.

With 8 minutes and 54 seconds left in the third quarter, Kevin Porter Jr. made a driving layup to tie the game at 66 apiece. The Spurs inbound the ball to Tre Jones following Porter's basket, who scored a layup attempt after he had a wide-open lane. 

For Silas, Jones' uncontested layup indicated the Rockets' lackluster play during their 124-105 loss to the Spurs inside the Toyota Center. But Houston's overall performance represented the current struggles that have plagued the team over the previous three games.

"We are in one of those ruts that you get into during an NBA season," Silas said. "We are 30 games into the season. And over the last handful of games, we have not played well. It happens in an NBA season, especially with a young group."

Silas described the Rockets' recent struggles as the "dog days of the NBA season." 

They have dropped three consecutive games since falling to the Miami Heat Thursday night. The loss ended the Rockets' five-game home winning streak and a run that included Houston winning six of their previous 10 games. 

The Rockets have given up an average of 114.0 points during their three-game losing skid. But Houston's biggest issue has been their play on the offensive end. The Rockets have shot 43.2 percent from the field and a league-worst 19.8 percent from behind the arc.

For the Rockets to overcome their recent troubles, Silas believes every player has to be on one accord. And his plea is echoed in second-year guard Jalen Green, who finished the night with 13 points on 3-of-12 shooting.

"We have not been playing like ourselves these last [three] games," Green said. "We just need to get back to what was working and play together. When they started hitting shots, we had people trying to do it on their own."

The Rockets trailed the Spurs by double-digits on several occasions. Their largest deficit came when San Antonio held a 26-point lead with four minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Silas believes speeches could help the Rockets get out of their current funk. But he understands that the best thing Houston could do is work through its struggles.

"We been here before where we did not make shots, and it affected a lot," Silas said. "We have to continue working and believing that shots will eventually go in when we are creating shots for our teammates. 

"We cannot allow our shooting to affect our mood. Our spirit. And our defensive intensity."   

The Rockets shot 42.6 percent from the field and a horrendous 20.8 percent from behind the arc against the Spurs. Their worst performance came during the third quarter when Houston made five shots on 24 attempts. 

The Rockets also struggled from the free-throw line, where they connected on 64.5 percent of their shots on 31 attempts. 

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You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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