Some questionable officiating and ice cold shooting added up to another letdown game.
The Rockets lost their second straight game to a championship defender. They are not on that level. Their inability to grab rebounds and inability to consistently hit shots will prevent them for winning more games against elite competition.
And that's, ultimately, what did them in against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 114-106 loss Friday night. James Harden was active and engaged, playing surprisingly well on defense. Corey Brewer was a menace on the fast break. The ball was zipping around. Clint Capela was playing good defense at the rim and Trevor Ariza was holding his own.