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The Houston Rockets have emerged as a legitimate contending team throughout the 2024-25 season. They have built their winning identity on defense and grit, and they entered their Monday night showdown against the New York Knicks with a 32-16 record, good for one of the better tallies in the Association.
However, the Rockets looked like an entirely different team on Monday as the Knicks took them down, 124-118, thanks to an incredible 46-point fourth-quarter outburst.
Rarely does this Rockets team allow their opponents to get into such a good rhythm, but the Knicks somehow found a way to overcome their overwhelming athleticism — with Jalen Brunson exploding for 42 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists.
For a team that prides itself on defense and hounding the opponents' best player, this was an uncharacteristic performance, and head coach Ime Udoka couldn't help but express his frustrations following the contest.
“Even our supposed defenders got cooked tonight,” Udoka said, per Adam Spolane of SportsRadio 610.
The Rockets boast three of the most fearsome perimeter defenders in the Association, and among those three might be the best lockdown defender in the league at the moment (Amen Thompson).
Dillon Brooks is always a nuisance to the opposition, while Tari Eason is always balls to the wall when it comes to that end of the floor. But it did not matter, as the Knicks were able to find ways to unlock Houston's defense.
It did not help matters at all for the Rockets that they were missing Fred VanVleet, who is currently week to week due to an ankle injury. VanVleet could have helped stabilize matters for Houston with the Knicks mounting a comeback in the fourth, and he also could have helped as a defender at the point of attack.
But for Udoka and his men, all they could do is go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to return to winning ways when they take on the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.
Rockets take their eyes off the ball
Basketball is a game of runs, and unfortunately for the Rockets, they were unable to stem the tide on Monday night. That makes it three-straight defeats for them, with one of those losses coming at the hands of the Nets — an inexcusable loss.
Perhaps this gives the Rockets a greater sense of urgency leading up to the trade deadline. Championship windows don't happen often, and perhaps there is a move to be made for them to increase their championship odds this year.
