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<\/p>\nHOUSTON \u2014 By the time the Oklahoma City Thunder drilled their third triple in the span of a 60-second early fourth quarter stretch, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, livid from his team\u2019s compounding mistakes, stormed the court heading straight for Reed Sheppard.<\/p>\n
Sheppard, the culprit for two of the three wide-open looks \u2014 a mixup in coverage and communication \u2014 could only hang his head while Udoka admonished the second-year guard all the way to his seat on the bench, before attempting to salvage what was left of the game.<\/p>\n
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Houston\u2019s accumulation of mistakes had turned a rather tight contest up until that point into a nine-point deficit the Rockets never recovered from. But Udoka\u2019s outburst wasn\u2019t simply an isolated incident in a lengthy regular season. It was a clear reminder of the gap that exists between both franchises, an illustration of the razor-thin margin for error against the elite \u2014 and a possible indication that Houston\u2019s prior stance toward the trade market might need revisiting weeks before the deadline.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery game matters for us and we haven\u2019t been playing our best,\u201d Udoka said following Houston\u2019s 111-91 blowout loss. \u201cRegardless of record or whatever, we need to continue to focus on what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thursday night\u2019s offensive fiasco was a microcosm of the issues surrounding this talented Rockets team as of late. The Thunder\u2019s defensive game plan was simple: swarm Kevin Durant first and foremost, sending extra help on drives and potential pull-ups and lean on physicality to mitigate Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn\u2019s impact around the elbows. For nearly 40 minutes, Durant had no room to breathe, with arms, feet and everything but the kitchen sink in his way \u2014 that he finished with just 19 points on 23 shots is no surprise, nor is \u015eeng\u00fcn\u2019s 14 points on 15 shots.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like I missed some good shots to be honest,\u201d Durant said. \u201cBut they swarmed the paint, we got up 104 looks. My shot-making is supposed to inspire the whole group so when I\u2019m not making shots, it takes away from us. I just gotta be more prepared and fundamentally sound. A few shots I rushed or was looking for a foul. I just gotta be better.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Kevin Durant struggled to find clean looks against Oklahoma City on Thursday, a snapshot of Houston’s growing offensive issues.<\/p>\n
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect \/ REUTERS)<\/p>\n
But just how Houston labored \u2014 struggling to capitalize on 4-on-3s, failing to take full advantage of its dominance on the offensive glass (25 points from 23 offensive rebounds) and another anemic shooting night (29 percent from three, 33 from the field) \u2014 told a larger story of where this team needs fixing. The Rockets are about as deep of a basketball team as any of their rivals in the Western Conference but are dealing with roster inconsistency and a lack of quarterback that is starting to catch up with them.<\/p>\n
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A little over a month ago, the Rockets were second in the West with a strong 15-5 record. They have gone 8-10, are currently losers of five out of their last seven, have a bottom 10 defense and, as of the new year, are 28th in offense. That they even sit in sixth place (23-15), half a game outside of the Play-In, is a miracle and testament to the sheer individual talent on the roster.<\/p>\n