Houston Rockets

Rockets seek to get back on track against Suns (Apr 02, 2017)

Published Apr. 2, 2017 3:20 a.m. ET

The Houston Rockets will attempt to put an end to an untimely three-game losing streak when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.

The Rockets (51-25) need any combination of three wins or three losses by the Utah Jazz (47-29) over the final six games of the regular season in order to clinch the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

The Jazz, who visit San Antonio on Sunday, hold the tiebreaker over the Rockets by virtue of winning the season series, 2-1.

The Rockets were cruising along, having won seven of eight, before their current three-game skid. Two of the three losses were at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, including 107-98 Friday night in Oakland on the second night of their current three-game trip.

The biggest problem in the slump: The league's most frequent 3-point shooters suddenly can't locate the hoop from beyond the arc.

The Rockets went 5 for 31 in a home loss to Golden State on Tuesday, 8 for 34 in a loss at Portland on Thursday and 12 for 37 in the rematch with Golden State on Friday.

That's 24.5 percent (25 for 102) for a team that's shot 36.0 percent for the season.

Rockets star James Harden, battling a sore left wrist, has been the posterboy for Houston's shooting woes during the skid. He's missed 26 of his 31 3-point attempts in the three games.

"It's just not one person," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni assessed after Friday's loss, noting that Harden (17 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists) had barely missed a triple-double. "We need to do a better job."

The poor shooting coincides with the absence of forward Ryan Anderson, who has missed the last four games with sprained right ankle. Anderson ranks ninth in the league in 3-pointers made with 187.

Anderson is expected to return before the playoffs, but almost surely not in Phoenix. Chances are, he won't be missed nearly as much against the Suns, who suffered their 11th straight loss Saturday night in Portland, 130-117.

The Suns will take the court Sunday night with the league's worst defense against 3-point shots (38.4 percent).

Phoenix might be losing, but guard Devin Booker remains worthy of the price of admission on most nights.

After becoming the youngest NBA player ever to score 60 points, and the youngest Sun ever to top 40, when he exploded for 70 last week at Boston, Booker has returned to the West Coast and put up 33 points in front of the home fans Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers and 31 on Saturday at Portland.

He was flanked by two rookies in the starting lineup Saturday, and frankly he's tired of using it as an excuse for losing.

"We're getting a chance to play, but we need to treat it like it's do-or-die," the 20-year-old insisted to reporters after Saturday's game. "It's not often that rookies get this many minutes, so as a young group, we need to come together and play like we're trying to do something here."

Rookie starters Marquese Chriss (19 points) and Tyler Ulis (11) combined for 30 points in the loss to the Trail Blazers.