How the Rockets bullied their way to one of the NBA's best offenses

"IT'S 9:20 PM ON Jan. 15, and a hooded Kevin Durant presses his right palm to his forehead, staring at a stat sheet and searching for what went wrong in a 20-point loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. "I feel like I'm missing good shots to be honest," he said. "We got up 104 looks. We didn't turn it over too crazy. My shotmaking is supposed to inspire the whole group.""

"Durant made 7 of 23 from the field and missed all five of his 3-point attempts. For the Houston Rockets, this second matchup against OKC after a season-opening double-overtime loss, represented a shot at testing their mettle against the league's best. Instead, the Rockets would close out the worst seven-game stretch of 3-point shooting (58 of 236; minimum 200 attempts) in NBA history, according to ESPN Research, losing their fifth game in seven outings."

"By utilizing a by-committee approach at point guard due to a season-ending knee injury Fred VanVleet suffered before the start of training camp, the Rockets surprisingly rank No. 3 in the NBA in offensive rating (118.9). They've bullied their way here with a crushing, but methodical style (Houston ranks 28th in pace) featuring facilitation from a variety of sources within their enormous lineups, but mainly Durant and center Alperen Sengun."

Kevin Durant struggled in a 20-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, making 7 of 23 shots and missing all five 3-point attempts. The Rockets’ second matchup with OKC capped a historic low: a seven-game stretch of 3-point shooting of 58-for-236 (minimum 200 attempts), and five losses in seven games. Fred VanVleet suffered a season-ending knee injury, prompting a by-committee point-guard approach. Houston ranks third in offensive rating (118.9) while ranking 28th in pace, operating a crushing yet methodical style that relies on facilitation from multiple players and heavy roles for Durant and center Alperen Sengun. Coach Ime Udoka expects inconsistency to even out and emphasizes hunting quality shots.

Read at ESPN.com