Entering Thursday, the young Houston Rockets had won five straight home games at Toyota Center. This week, to kick off a seven-game homestand, the longest of the season, they won largely with defense. They held both Milwaukee and Phoenix to fewer than 100 points. That equaled their total number of such games during this season’s first 25 games.
That didn’t happen in Thursday’s 111-108 loss (box score) to Miami, which ended the home-court winning streak. But while inconsistent, the Rockets showed flashes of that elite defensive form, particularly by shutting down Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and the Heat over the final five minutes and very nearly rallying to a win.
