After a one-game absence for planned maintenance on a back-to-back, Victor Oladipo returned and led the Houston Rockets with 26 points and 6 rebounds during Sunday night’s home game versus Boston.
It wasn’t nearly enough, however, to prevent the Rockets (11-26) from suffering a 16th straight loss. That’s now the longest losing streak since the franchise moved to Houston in 1971, and they’re within one game of tying the all-time franchise mark — set when the expansion San Diego Rockets lost 17 consecutive games in the 1967-68 NBA season.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum led the Celtics in Sunday’s 134-107 victory (box score) with 24 and 23 points, respectively. Boston (20-18) has now won five of its last six games, overall.
Second-year guard Kevin Porter had 11 points and 7 assists, but he cooled off considerably from Friday’s strong showing, shooting just 3-of-12 (25.0%) from the field. Rookies KJ Martin and Mason Jones added 21 and 14 points, respectively, off the Houston bench, though lots of those came against backups and after the game had long been decided.
The Rockets were again severely short-handed, with rotation regulars such as Christian Wood, John Wall, Danuel House Jr., Eric Gordon, and PJ Tucker all missing. They remain optimistic that the first three of that grouping could return by Tuesday’s matchup versus Atlanta, when Houston hopes to avoid losing a 17th straight game — which would tie the all-time franchise record for futility. The Rockets are now 0-16 since Wood’s Feb. 4 ankle sprain after going 7-1 in the prior eight games.
Here’s a sampling of Sunday’s highlights and postgame reaction.
Silas: "There are no excuses. This is the NBA. We have to be better."
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) March 15, 2021
Silas: "It's a common theme that we're getting a bunch of threes but we're not making them."
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) March 15, 2021
Stephen Silas on Kevin Porter Jr: "Thought the foul trouble got to him early. He's such a gifted passer, he makes plays, he draws a second defender. Obviously he's not shooting the ball the way that he wants. I think there are some times where he can take some easier shots…" pic.twitter.com/H71u5k9NSE
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) March 15, 2021
Silas: "We really didn't put very much pressure on their defense. I don't mind us taking as many threes as we do and did as long as we are putting pressure on the defense either with our pace early, either with our pace up the floor…" pic.twitter.com/XYouDldP6o
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) March 15, 2021
Silas: "There are no excuses, right? This is the NBA. We gotta be better regardless of who we have on the floor and all that stuff. The way we played in the Utah game and the way we played in the first quarter tonight….We just gotta be better." pic.twitter.com/AymqH5IRgo
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) March 15, 2021
