In the opener of two consecutive nationally televised games from Los Angeles, the Houston Rockets continued their defensive struggles in Tuesday’s 128-108 loss (box score) to the Clippers.
The reeling Rockets (17-10) have now lost four of their last five games, and they are just 4-6 in the month of December. Those six losses have included five to the bottom-five teams in the Western Conference standings, with the Clippers (8-21) being the latest example.
“I wouldn’t say the Clippers are a team that play extremely hard, and they outplayed us on effort alone,” head coach Ime Udoka said postgame. Two nights earlier, after a collapse versus last-place Sacramento, Udoka used similar phrasing while calling out an apparent lack of motivation.
Among star duos on Tuesday, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden combined for 70 points for the Clippers, while Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun had just 41 for the Rockets. All shot 50% or better from the field.
“Kawhi’s my matchup, and he had 40,” said Rockets guard Amen Thompson, a 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive First Team selection.
“I can’t let that happen,” Thompson told reporters (via Sam Warren, Houston Chronicle). “Me locking in defensively, being better on that end, I feel like will set the tone for the whole team. They see me slack, they might start slacking for a second.”
For the Rockets, so much of their recent downturn comes down to defense. From the October 21 opener through November, Houston ranked No. 2 (110.3) in the NBA in defense, and their 13-4 (.765) pace would extrapolate to more than 60 wins for the entirety of the regular season.
But in their 4-6 (.400) December, the Rockets are only No. 23 (117.8) in defensive rating. Over their last five games, which include four losses, they are No. 27 (122.3) among the league’s 30 teams. So, if anything, the problem is trending worse in recent days.
Houston ranked No. 5 in defensive rating (110.3) last season, though the 2025-26 team is missing three of the 2024-25 group’s five starters (Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, and Dillon Brooks) due to offseason transactions or injuries. Dorian Finney-Smith was signed to help replace Brooks, though he has yet to play after undergoing offseason ankle surgery.
The Rockets are hopeful that Finney-Smith will return in January.
Offensively, the in-season decline has been far more modest. Houston ranked No. 2 in offensive rating (122.3) through November before slipping to No. 5 (118.7) in December. Due in large part to Durant’s arrival, both figures are far above last season’s No. 12 ranking (114.9).
If there is any silver lining for the Rockets, it’s that the defensive slippage has been almost entirely on the road. Even in December, Houston remains No. 4 in home defensive rating (104.4). On the road, that figure drops to a woeful No. 29 (123.4), second-worst in the league.
To this point, the Rockets have played a very road-heavy schedule, with 17 of their 27 games having been played outside of Houston. That means that of the final 55 regular-season contests, 31 will be hosted inside Houston’s home arena of Toyota Center.
Unfortunately, the road struggles could make it less likely for Houston to play its most important games at home. Since the calendar turned to December, the Rockets have fallen from No. 2 in the West standings to No. 6. If sustained, that would mean starting the 2026 playoffs on the road and likely not having home-court advantage in any round.
By contrast, having a No. 2 seed in the eight-team West bracket would position that team to have home-court advantage in at least two series.
For now, next up is Thursday’s matchup on Christmas night, Dec. 25, which concludes Houston’s season-long road trip of six games. Tipoff versus LeBron James and the Lakers (19-9) is at 7:00 p.m. Central, and the game will be televised on both ABC and ESPN.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: By the numbers: Defensive regression causing Rockets’ December swoon
Reporting by Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
