CHARLOTTE – Though they did not seem to suspect such a thing before the game began, it likely did not take long for the Rockets to get the idea they could be in trouble on Saturday.
They probably did not even need all eight turnovers they collected before getting their first points or the whole of the 20-0 lead the Hornets built to get the idea that the day would give them a long, uphill slog to snap out of their funk.
They never really did. They moved within range, but the Hornets sent the Rockets to a third-consecutive loss, 108-99, on Saturday, never trailing and never seeming seriously threatened in the second half.