Houston Rockets End 41-Game Streak with Loss

The Rockets had a 41-game streak snapped in their 104-98 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Nov 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) shoots against Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) and teammates in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets played the second of their back-to-back with the Portland Trailblazers Saturday night. The Rockets were looking for their eighth win in the last nine contests. From the start, the team seemed stuck in the mud, while the Trail Blazers did a 180 compared to the previous game

In Friday's game, the Rockets dominated the Blazers, cruising to a 28-point victory. In Saturday's game, the Rockets struggled from the field, shooting only 36 percent and never getting any type of rhythm.

Saturday's loss was one of the worst offensive performances the Rockets have had in a long time. Since Ime Udoka took over the team last season, the Rockets have been one of the best defensive teams in the league. They also improved on the offensive side, as they have been a top-10 team in terms of taking care of the basketball, which means they have been getting more possessions per game.

That had led to the Rockets scoring over 100 points for 41 straight games coming into Saturday night's game with the Trail Blazers. That streak was snapped as the Rockets could only muster 98 points in their 104-98 loss.

Before losing to the Trail Blazers, the Rockets hadn't scored fewer than 100 points in a game since February 27, 2023, when they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder. That means it had been half a season since they fell short of the 100-point mark. This highlights just how ineffective the Rockets' offense was in that loss.

Both teams struggled throughout the game, but the Trail Blazers were able to make more plays down the stretch. To make matters worse, after Fred VanVleet didn't get a call he felt he should have gotten with under 10 seconds remaining, he was tossed from the game after continuing to argue with the referees.

As he walked off the court, he put his fingers directly in one of the referees' faces. Now, VanVleet and the Rockets will have to wait to see if the NBA takes any further action.

For the Rockets, it was a game they wanted to move on from as quickly as possible, but they will have to wait. They are not back in action until Tuesday when they travel to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.