K.J. Martin And Jae'Sean Tate Providing Mentorship Among Rockets' Losing Streak

By relying on past experiences, K.J. Martin and Jae'Sean Tate have taken the helm as mentors to help the Houston Rockets get through their 13-game losing streak.

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets are in the middle of their fourth-longest losing streak in franchise history. 

They have dropped 13 consecutive games following a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night, which marked the third year in a row the Rockets had a streak that exceeded 12 games. 

"You have to keep in the back of your head that it is all for a bigger picture," Jae'Sean Tate said. "As long as we can come in here and control what we can control, we have to be the best professionals we can be. We just have to keep putting in the work and it will eventually turn."

Of the 15 players on Houston's active roster, Tate, Eric Gordon, K.J. Martin and Kevin Porter Jr. are the only players who have experienced each of the Rockets' losing streaks since the 2020-21 campaign.

Tate and Martin are leaning on past experiences to get through Houston's latest struggles. But at the same time, they find themselves mentoring first and second-year players who never experience the number of consecutive losses of this magnitude. 

Tate said that remaining positive and focusing on minor improvements are the keys to overcoming a long-losing skid. 

"You have to take each day game by game to try and get that win," Martin said. "You cannot think too far ahead or dwell on the games we have already lost. Each day, our record is 0-0, and our goal is to try and get a win that day."

The second-generation forward said he never experienced losing until he began his pro career with the Rockets. Houston drafted Martin in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft (no. 52 overall) after he won back-to-back California state titles in high school.  

In Martin's first season, the Rockets set a franchise record of 20 consecutive losses. And during his sophomore campaign, Houston dropped 15 straight games.

Martin said each losing streak was a teachable moment that improved the team ahead of this season. But amid their current losing skid, the top lesson for the Rockets is sustainability.

"I feel like we go away from what we did to get the lead," Martin said. "We've talked about it. But we cannot make the same mistakes over and over again. It's about staying calm and playing hard. We cannot make it too complicated." 

Over their last 13 games, the Rockets held several leads entering the second half. But during the final 24 minutes, Houston failed to maintain its play. 

During their 113-104 loss to the Timberwolves, Houston blew a 12-point lead by allowing Minnesota to close the period on a 31-16 run. The Rockets led 68-56 with 8 minutes and 17 seconds left in the third quarter.

To avoid extending their losing streak Monday night against the Timberwolves, Martin and Tate believe that the team must improve their efforts on defense and help each other get easy shots on the offensive end. It's another lesson the Rockets can take from their latest losing streak.

"This is one of the hardest leagues to win in," Tate said. "There are highs and lows. And right now, we have to get out of this funk. We have to go out there and play together in hopes of getting this bad taste out of our mouths."

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

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