No defense means no win

January 6, 11:53 PMHouston Rockets ExaminerDavid Hartnett

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AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr

Honestly, I’m not sure what to say anymore.

It seems all the posts written these past two weeks are oddly similar. Maybe the scores and the teams change, but the result remains the same — Rockets lose.

Sure, there were two wins during that time span when the Rockets against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Utah Jazz, but they nearly blew leads in those games. These Houston Rockets are in a rut. I hate using the word “rut”, but frankly — it’s the only word I haven’t used to describe the predicament they find themselves in.

Oh, for those wondering, the Rockets lost their third consecutive game Tuesday. Falling to 0-3 on the road-trip, and losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, 104-96.

Following the game against the Atlanta, a game in which the Hawks shot 59%, it seemed that type of defensive performance wouldn’t occur again. Well, to the Rockets’ credit, they did force to shoot the 76ers to shoot less than 59%, but not by much.

In an equally disappointing defensive performance similar to Saturday, the 76ers shot 56% from the field. Hey, at least it’s progress. Maybe next game the Rockets will only allow their opponent to shoot 53%.

Yep, as the Rockets’ defense was once so dominant, now the players are just doormats. They’re allowing far too many easy baskets. Though some of the defensive problems can be attributed due to the absence of both Ron Artest and Shane Battier, there absence hasn’t caused all the problems. Their absence didn’t cause the 76ers to have something around 30 fast break points.

Elsewhere, for once, Tracy McGrady wasn’t the problem. Rather, he might have been the best player on the court for the Rockets. Take that back, Luis Scola was their best player, but number two isn’t bad!

T-Mac came out and scored the first six points for the Rockets. In the process of doing just that, he looked like the “old T-Mac” — the younger, explosive scorer we had grown accustom to. Sadly, it didn’t last for long, as he finished the night with 14 points (5-of-15). Still with nine assists, McGrady had an ok performance, and wasn’t too much of a liability.

Von Wafer continues to impress. He was nearly perfect, scoring 14 points (6-of-7), as he and Luis Scola (18 points and 17 rebounds) were both playing at a high level Tuesday. Wafer may turn out to be this year’s Carl Landry — a young player who wasn’t expected to do much, yet excels.

However, as the offense wasn’t as stagnant as it had been, the story for the second game in a row is the defense. Andre Iguodala finished the game with 28 points, and was constantly seen racing down the court for easy, fast-break baskets. Players such as Willie Green (14 points), Marreese Speights (15 points), and Louis Williams (15 points) all had relative ease scoring.

Now, as the Rockets go into the fourth game of this five game road-trip, they have the luxury of playing the defending champion Boston Celtics. Thankfully, for the Rockets, the Celtics have lost five of their last seven games, including losing the last two against the New York Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats.

It should be an interesting game. Both teams are struggling, each finding difficulties finding a way to win.

If the Rockets want to reverse this rut, now would be a good time to get a convincing win. Though don’t expect it to happen.

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Player of the Game:

Andre Iguodala, 28 points (12-of-19) and four steals

I don’t feel his play in the past warranted an $80 million contract, but he was good Tuesday. He’s an explosive player, can also provide powerful dunks, and was great against the Rockets.

Goat of the Game:

Aaron Brooks, Six points (1-of-11), three assists

The second-year pro is in the midst of a shooting slump, and it’s apparent. He is hesitant to shoot, and when he does — it’s a brick. Such an explosive scorer has now become a bit of a liability.

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As the reception has been positive towards the live diaries, and as the game between the Rockets and Celtics is important — another live diary will be kept throughout Wednesday’s game.

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For other perpectives on stories pertaining to the Houston Rockets, check out these Examiners:

Michael Street, Asian-American Sports Examiner

John Karalis, Boston Celtics Examiner

Andy Jasner, Philadelphia 76ers Examiner