It’s difficult to know what to do with this season in terms of writing about it. In terms of game recaps. What’s the story, the narrative, if the story is known in advance? That story for the Rockets is - patience, improvement, hope for the future.
The problem is, that sort of thing can be hard to spot within 48 minutes, sometimes. With a team full of young players, like the Rockets, things can look good, as they did for much of the first quarter. Then they can look bad, as the Heat, a team which considers itself a contender, got serious in the second quarter and built a lead the Rockets wouldn’t surmount.