It’s unclear if the Rockets came down a case of the infamous “South Beach flu,” or if they simply didn’t execute well in Sunday’s 129-100 blowout loss to the Heat.
Whatever the reason, Houston got dominated from start to finish, and simply did not play well.
The Rockets fell behind 46-14 after just one quarter of play, leading many to wonder if the “South Beach flu” played a part. For those that don’t know, the angle involves teams that play Sunday afternoon or early evening games in Miami, with players struggling because they hit up the South Beach clubs on Saturday night. And given who the Rockets have on their roster, it’s certainly possible.
Regardless, the Rockets got dominated on both ends of the floor, and head coach Mike D’Antoni was not happy about it. He even called the team “soft” in speaking to reporters after the game.
D'Antoni: "We're not in trouble, but if we think we're not in trouble, we're in trouble." Said Rockets need "appropriate fear." The word "soft" in there, too.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) November 4, 2019
Maybe Russell Westbrook caught the “South Beach flu,” because this stat line is historically bad.
Russell Westbrook was a -46 in Houston's blowout loss at Miami – a personal career-worst and the worst +/- by any Rockets player in a game since 1996-97 (the earliest date for which we have that data).
📊 https://t.co/DlqSY5nPmy pic.twitter.com/WrWo9bzu6S
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 4, 2019
The Rockets have a great opportunity to rebound on Monday night, as they’ll square off against the young, tanking Grizzlies in Memphis.
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