The Houston Rockets stood as NBA's surprise success story in the 2023 portion of the regular season. A major reality check arrived in recent weeks.
Houston's slide of late—including a 1–5 mark since Feb. 4—can be attributed to a number of factors. Tari Eason hasn't played since New Year's Day. Fred VanVleet's abductor injury sidelined him for the last five contests. Houston's three-point shooting is rather abysmal in the last 20 games (31.9 percent as a team), and the team's transition attack (No. 15 in fast-break scoring league-wide) has yet to truly take-off.