Rockets drop franchise record 18th straight, fall 108-94 to Warriors

There it is, TDS. The longest losing streak in franchise history. The Houston Rockets were down all night and never really threatened past the first quarter, as even the return of Christian Wood couldn’t change Houston’s trajectory, as they fell 108-94 to the Golden State Warriors and into the record books of futility.

Despite plummeting to 11-28 on the year, the Rockets do show some bright spots. Three of the main pieces for the future continued to shine, and we should be focusing on the development of these young players as GM Rafael Stone works his magic on the rebuild.

Wood went for 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block, while shooting 8-12 from the field in a robust 26 minutes of action for his first game back. Kevin Porter Jr. continues to do his thing, as he finished with 25 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals while shooting 9-18 from the field. While KJ Martin also had another impressive night, going for 13 points and 9 boards in 30 minutes off the bench.

Jae’Sean Tate slipped a little tonight after last night’s career-high in scoring, putting in just 2 points, but he also grabbed 5 rebounds, dished 2 assists, and snagged 3 steals to round out a versatile line (and help my fantasy squad).

Look, there’s going to be many more losses coming this season. That’s just the reality of the situation at this point. The Rockets haven’t rebuilt in a long time, and it happens to everyone at some point. The good news is that they have four guys who are certified keepers, numerous draft picks to either use as trade ammunition or in their natural spot, and several veterans yet likely to be dealt in what has a chance to be a short process if Stone nails this thing. So far, the potential pieces are in place. It’s no time to fret despite the standings.

As for the rest of the game, Golden State was led by 23 points off the bench by Jordan Poole, and they also got 19 from Kelly Oubre Jr, 18 points and 8 assists from Stephen Curry, who had to leave the game with an injured tailbone after a nasty fall, 17 points from Andrew Wiggins, and they also got a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double from Draymond Green.

The Rockets now take a night off to lick their wounds before returning to action on Friday, when they take on the Detroit Pistons at the Toyota Center.