Top of 2 in 1 game? The Rockets lost to the Spurs in an away game! The Western Conference rankings dropped 3 places in a row, falling to 6th.

The Rockets, playing away from home, have been performing well before. They have won 5 consecutive victories. However, today the Rockets lost to the Spurs and their 5-game winning streak was ended. The Spurs were actually evenly matched with the Rockets in the first half, without much advantage. At halftime, the Rockets trailed by only one point, but things changed suddenly in the 3rd and 4th quarters. The Spurs have increased their speed and penetration into the paint, and are also better than the Rockets at controlling the glass. Castle and Vassell both hit key three-pointers. Wenbanyama was all over the place in the paint. Neither Shenjing nor Durant could break through his defense.

Durant basically didn't have a good touch during the game. Not only did he make 8 turnovers in the game, he only made 8 of 18 shots, and his shooting percentage was also very low. Compared with his previous performance, Durant's performance was not good. Although he scored 24 points and 1 rebound in the game, Durant's slump in the fourth quarter directly affected the Rockets' trend. After this game, the Rockets' original ranking of third in the Western Conference fell three places in a row, and now they are only ranked sixth in the Western Conference.

The Rockets and Spurs both belong to the Southwest Division, so this is also a key conversation between the Western Division teams. One victory is worth two. After the Rockets lost this game, their ranking dropped three places in a row, which can be said to be very regrettable. Currently, the Rockets have 5 wins and 3 losses in 8 games, with a winning rate of 62.5%. Before the Rockets are the Trail Blazers, who are also 5 wins and 3 losses; fourth is the Nuggets, with 5 wins and 2 losses; after the Spurs defeated the Rockets, they directly came to third place. They are 6 wins and 2 losses, with a winning rate of 75%.

The Lakers have become the hottest team in the Western Conference, ranking second, with a record of 7 wins and 2 losses, and a winning rate of 77.8%; the Thunder currently have 8 wins and 1 loss, ranking first, and a winning rate of 88.9%. Fortunately, the gap between the Rockets and the second-place Lakers in the Western Conference is only 1.5 games. The Rockets' next schedule is relatively easy. If the Rockets can reverse their decline and continue to win, then they have every chance to return to the top four in the Western Conference, and even threaten the Lakers' second place in the Western Conference.

It's not a big deal for the Rockets to lose. After all, this is just one of the 82 regular season games, and losing is normal. The Rockets need to find out the problems as soon as possible, such as Durant's touch and the adjustment of his condition, and Udoka can no longer use the twin tower tactics frequently, because this will slow down the Rockets' speed and outside shooting rhythm.

As the Rockets' substitute guard, although Sheppard shoots more accurately and more three-pointers, he still struggles to have an impact on the defensive end. These are all problems that Rockets coach Uduka needs to solve. If these problems can be solved, the Rockets can definitely become the top four in the Western Conference.