The Houston Rockets continue to look like a playoff team on paper, but nights like Saturday at Madison Square Garden underline why they remain a tier below the Western Conference’s true heavyweights.
After the game, Kevin Durant did not shy away from diagnosing what went wrong for the Houston Rockets.
“In a lot of our games when we’re up 10, 12, 14, we just give it away because we don’t play with that dominant trait,” Durant said. “I thought, in the first three quarters, we played with more pace. In the fourth quarter, we were just stagnant to start. It gave them momentum. We were giving up layups and turnovers. I just think we relaxed a bit coming into the fourth quarter.”
The comments reflect a season-long issue for Houston. 16 of the team’s 21 losses have come in clutch situations, defined by the league as games within five points in the final five minutes. That record places the Rockets among the NBA’s poorest late-game performers despite their strong overall standing.
Durant’s individual night mirrored the team’s split personality. He scored 25 points over the first three quarters on 19 shots, helping Houston build its cushion.
In the final period, however, Durant shot 2-for-7, committed two turnovers, picked up two fouls, and missed multiple jumpers.
His late three-pointer pulled Houston within one point in the final seconds, but it was not enough to erase the damage done earlier in the quarter.
Despite the frustration, Durant framed the loss as part of a longer learning curve for a team still trying to establish itself among contenders.
“It’s a lesson learned. Something we can keep growing from,” Durant said. “It’s a vital time for us to keep growing and keep getting better.”
Houston now sits at 34 wins and 21 losses, firmly in the playoff picture, but with little margin for error.
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