The warning signs were there early, and by the fourth quarter, they were impossible to ignore. Houston looked flat, a step slow, and completely overwhelmed as they were routed 109-99 by the Hornets in what became their second straight blowout loss. While the final score doesn’t fully capture how lopsided the night felt, Charlotte controlled the game almost wire to wire, leading for 91% of the contest and stretching the margin to 22 points at its peak.
This wasn’t just about missed shots or a bad matchup. The Rockets looked worn down, mentally and physically, and it showed in their body language, defensive rotations, and decision-making. Charlotte played freer, faster, and with far more confidence, while Houston spent most of the night chasing. Here are five takeaways from another rough night for a Rockets team searching for answers.
1. Houston Had No Energy From The Opening Tip
The Rockets appeared early on to be a team that was running on empty. They let Charlotte score a little too easily at first. Charlotte shot 39.5% from three, and on top of that, was seemingly first to almost every loose ball. They out-rebounded Houston offensively 16 to 5, and much of that was due to simply outworking Houston to the ball rather than lapses in the Rockets’ defensive schemes.
That same lack of energy was also apparent in their transition defense. Charlotte was able to score 14 points on the fast break, and the final total could have been much higher with a little more attention. Both LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel were able to push the pace, and Houston’s defenders were forced to backpedal rather than set their feet to prepare for the next possession. Most of the time, the Rockets were simply responding to Charlotte rather than setting the pace and deciding the flow of the game.
Even during stretches of the game when it looked like Houston was making a little bit of offensive progress, they were simply burning time before Charlotte responded and added to their score again. Houston never held a lead at all for the entire game, and every time they got a little bit more offensive activity, Charlotte would snuff it out with a bucket of their own. This wasn’t just a slow start and average offensive performance from Houston; it was a full-game problem.
2. Kevin Durant Scored, But It Felt Empty
Kevin Durant performed exactly as he was expected to, dropping 31 points on 11-21 shooting, and 3-4 from beyond the arc. At first glance, this stat line looks good, but in reality, most of the points were scored in iso situations, which stall the offense and don’t amplify the score or change the trajectory of the game.
Failing to read the defense and move the ball, Durant also had 6 turnovers, and 3 of them were on point Charlotte double teams, which caused him to make bad decisions. Durant’s score did not correlate with offense; the Hornets were always able to score off turnovers or misses.
Durant’s volume scoring won’t change the Rockets’ problems, and that is what this game showed: he had a -11, and even with all the scoring, the Rockets were outplayed. No doubt, Durant is looking like a quick fix that isn’t solving the Rockets’ problems right now.
3. The Supporting Cast Disappeared
Beyond Durant and Jabari Smith Jr.’s 17 points, Houston received very little consistent production. Alperen Sengun was held to 7 points on 3-11 shooting, struggling to establish position or finish through contact. While he added 9 rebounds and 5 assists, his offensive impact was minimal.
Amen Thompson chipped in 8 points and 7 assists, but also turned the ball over five times and finished -11. Josh Okogie played just 21 minutes and posted 6 points, while Houston’s bench combined for uneven contributions that never stabilized the game.
Overall, the Rockets shot just 8-24 from three (33.3%), and outside of Durant, no one consistently punished Charlotte’s defensive lapses. The lack of secondary scoring allowed the Hornets to stay aggressive defensively without fear of being burned.
4. Turnovers And Careless Play Killed Any Chance Of A Comeback
The Rockets’ mistakes were self-inflicted and unending. Houston turned the ball over 18 times, leading to 27 points that Charlotte scored because of those mistakes. Charlotte didn’t do anything special. They simply anticipated Houston’s lazy passes, jumped the lanes, and scored because of Houston’s rushed decisions.
Several turnovers occurred at times when Houston was on the verge of closing the gap. Instead of the deficit being single-digit, Houston was losing the ball, and Charlotte was hitting transition threes. Charlotte had 14 steals, which turned Houston’s rhythm into chaos.
The contrast was large; Houston’s offense was just as unorganized as their defense. Charlotte had 22 turnovers, and Houston’s unorganized offense didn’t let them take advantage of the turnovers. Hornets, even when sloppy, were purposeful.
5. Charlotte Looked Fresh And Houston Looked Drained
The Hornets played loose and confident, with six players scoring at least seven points and multiple contributors making impact plays without dominating the ball. Kon Knueppel led the way with 24 points on 8-13 shooting, while LaMelo Ball added 20 points, 4 assists, and hit 5 threes to keep Houston at arm’s length.
Miles Bridges chipped in 18 points, Moussa Diabate pulled down 12 rebounds, and Charlotte shot a sharp 90.9% from the free-throw line. Even role players like Josh Green (14 points on 4-4 shooting) gave Charlotte clean, efficient minutes.
Houston, meanwhile, looked exhausted. Defensive closeouts were late, rotations were half-hearted, and communication broke down repeatedly. Two blowout losses in a row have exposed more than tactical flaws – they’ve highlighted a team that currently looks worn down, disconnected, and searching for stability as the season grinds on.
