For a second time in four days, the Rockets (17-9) blew a second-half lead of at least 14 points to a team with six-or-fewer wins entering the game.<\/p>\n
For a second time in four days, the Houston Rockets<\/a> blew a second-half lead of at least 14 points to a team with six-or-fewer wins entering the game. For a third time in December, they lost on night two of a road back-to-back to a team most expect to be in the 2026 NBA draft lottery.<\/p>\n On the heels of similar December losses at New Orleans (7-22), Utah (10-17), and Dallas (11-18), the Rockets fell in Sunday\u2019s overtime to the Sacramento Kings<\/a>, 125-124 (box score<\/a>).<\/p>\n The Kings (7-22) remain tied for last place in the Western Conference, while the Rockets (17-9) slipped to sixth place after another embarrassing defeat. Houston is now 4-5 in December.<\/p>\n After missing 14 games with oblique and leg issues, fourth-year forward Tari Eason returned<\/a> and scored 16 points in 16 minutes while making 6-of-8 shots (75.0%), including 3-of-3 from 3-point range. However, he helped off Dennis Schroder on the decisive possession of overtime, leading to the game-deciding trey.<\/p>\n Key individual statistics included:<\/p>\n The Kings entered as the NBA\u2019s worst rebounding team, and the Rockets rank No. 1 in the league. Yet, Sacramento won the rebounding battle, as Steven Adams (rest) sat out for maintenance considerations due to it being night two of the back-to-back.<\/p>\n The #1 rebounding team in NBA history just got out-rebounded by the worst rebounding team in the NBA\u2026<\/p>\n HOU SAC\n
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Rebs 54 65
Off Reb 13 19
Reb% 46.1% 53.9%
Off Reb% 26.5% 35.8% https:\/\/t.co\/7e7xwoNLm9<\/a><\/p>\n