Though the Rockets came up empty on three of their final four possessions after a James Harden 3-pointer tied the game against the Raptors on Friday, they lamented the way they started the game more than how they finished it.
The Rockets scored just 16 first-quarter points, their fewest of the season, and trailed by as much as 19 late in the first half. The missed all five of their 3-pointers in the first quarter and were 1 of 9 on 3s in the half, often failing to match up defensively after missed shots. But though not as extreme as in Friday's game, the early offensive struggles have been an issue in each of the first three games of the Rockets' four-game road trip.