HOUSTON -- Coming out of the All-Star break, the Houston Rockets knew they weren't going to be in contention for a spot in the NBA play-in tournament. They were 13-45, had lost seven straight games heading into the break, and were two weeks removed from trading disgruntled veteran Eric Gordon -- the team's fourth-leading scorer -- to the LA Clippers.
Still, they held a team meeting to establish a goal for the remainder of the season: to play their best basketball, setting a tone for the seasons to come.
"It gave us something that we can look at as our identity and something to work towards," Rockets guard Jae'Sean Tate told ESPN.