The Houston Rockets' loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday marked their fourth defeat in a row. However, James Harden has a rather simple remedy to their slump: “keep fighting.”
The Rockets got blown out by the Magic, 126-106. As a team, Houston shot 9-of-32 from the 3-point line. Harden himself had 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while backcourt partner Russell Westbrook had 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Combined, the former MVPs committed 12 turnovers.
How can the #Rockets snap their four-game losing streak?
James Harden: “Keep fighting. Keep pushing. It’s all you can do at this point.” pic.twitter.com/EDDdYqIWmy
— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) March 9, 2020
What's concerning about their losing streak is that three out of the four games came at the hands of non-contenders. Last Wednesday, the Rockets were upset by the New York Knicks, 125-123. On Thursday, they got bulldozed by the Los Angeles Clippers, 120-105. And on Saturday, they faced the Charlotte Hornets without Westbrook and got demoralized, 108-99.
The Mike D'Antoni-led squad still has a decent 39-24 record for sixth in the West. With 19 games remaining in their regular season schedule, they will likely qualify for the playoffs. The lingering concern is whether or not they can make a deep run — a very tough assignment in the loaded Western Conference.
From the looks of it, the Rockets' future will depend on whether or not James Harden and Russell Westbrook can elevate their games consistently in the upcoming postseason. After all, just two years ago, D'Antoni guided the team to a 65-win season and made it all the way to the Conference Finals.
They were just one game away from making it to the NBA Finals. But now, despite all the radical changes they've made, they still haven't found the right formula for success.
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