There was a point in the NBA season when the Rockets’ robust 3-point shooting percentage served as a counter to the team’s relatively low number of attempts from beyond the arc.
That scenario has taken a turn for the worse for Houston, which lost for the fourth time in five games on Sunday with a 111-98 road setback to the Sacramento Kings.
The Rockets have played 10 fewer games at home compared to the road, an imbalance that will start to be rectified Tuesday when they host the Chicago Bulls in the first of five consecutive home games.
Perhaps shooting on familiar rims will reverse the Rockets’ recent issues.
The Rockets misfired on 23 of 30 3-pointers against the Kings and shot just 23.4% from behind the arc over their last five games. Houston ranks 11th in 3-pointers attempted (37.6) during this span, yet remains 29th for the season at 31.1 3-point attempts per game.
In short, the recent uptick in volume has not led to an uptick in points.
“It looks like some lack of confidence,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “You’re getting open looks, but it’s more than that. It’s the effort, juice, energy, all of that. Regardless, make or miss shots, it’s going to happen. If you don’t play with the toughness or competitiveness that they play with, that’s what’s going to happen.
“We’re kind of going through the motions and have some attention-to-detail things that are coming to bite us. It’s a combination of all of the above.”
The Rockets welcomed back center Alperen Sengun from a three-game injury absence in Sacramento, but his presence didn’t move the needle. Houston, the top rebounding team in the NBA, finished a minus-1 on the glass against the Kings, a reflection of the lack of effort that leaves the team seeking answers.
“We’ve got to look at the rim,” Sengun said. “Shots are not falling, so we’ve got to get the offensive rebounds. We’ve got to play hard. Shots are not going to fall in all the time. We’re going to miss and have our bad times. We’ve been playing a lot of road games lately, and that’s going to make you tired mentally.
“I’m glad we’re going back home now. Hopefully, we can play how we used to play.”
The Bulls ran roughshod over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, claiming a 125-107 home victory for their third win in the last six games. Armed with youthful athleticism throughout their roster, the Bulls are at their best when they attack the rim, push the pace, and utilize an unrelenting defensive approach that yields transition baskets and amplifies their strengths.
“We understand how we need to play in order to win, and (Saturday) was that,” Bulls guard Coby White said. “Play fast, share and move the ball, and defensively try to be as disruptive as we can.
“We know how we have to play to win, and some nights we haven’t played to that in those aspects. Just have to continue to do it consistently and build off this game.”
