The streak is over. The streak is over.
The Houston Rockets’ 22-game winning streak came to a screeching halt Tuesday night when they played the Boston Celtics.
Since the 94-74 beat down at the hands of the Celtics, the Rockets have now started another streak – a losing one.
Now losers of two consecutive games, the Rockets are left searching for answers to get back on track.
But the losses should be viewed as a small problem because this is still a team that won its previous 22 games.
Personally I was appalled when I heard certain comments about the win streak in earlier weeks.
Certain critics and analysts constantly bashed the streak, dishing out ideas that it came during a time when the Rockets were in the midst of a weak schedule and that a good amount of the games won were based on luck.
In an interview during the winning streak, all-star guard Tracy McGrady agreed that the streak did come as a bit of a surprise and said he was especially proud of the toughness the team showed in its last 10 games of the streak.
“I’ll take being the luckiest team in the NBA right now,” McGrady joked. “When any team is on a roll like the one we’ve been on the past couple of months, you’re gonna get those type of games that you win but it seems that you could have lost to others.”
Well critics, I guess you all are thinking a lot of yourselves right now.
The Rockets are now at the beginning of a very tough stretch that began Sunday in which they will play five consecutive games against teams with a .600 winning percentage or better.
Since they’ve lost two of the three games to start off, critics truly believe now that the second greatest win streak in NBA history wasn’t what it was hyped up to be.
Although the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who own the all-time record with 33 consecutive wins, and the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks, who previously owned the second place spot with 20, went on to win the championship in the years of their streaks.
I have little belief that the Rockets will accomplish this feat.
They are far from the trophy that has eluded them for 12 seasons.
However, once things are turned back around – if they are turned back around – I have no doubt that the Rockets can’t at least blast through the first round or two of the playoffs.
I’ll make sure I stay tuned to see how they do.
Maybe their schedule will get a little bit tougher. The have lossed thioer last two games, but the losses came against elite teams in a competitive Western Conference.
I know that’s what it will take to make believers out of some.