The Rockets suffered a tough 117-108 loss to the Cavaliers in Cleveland on the second night of a back-to-back Saturday.
Houston came into the game one of the hottest teams in the league, facing a Cleveland team that was tied for the fewest wins in the NBA. Even with Chris Paul sitting out to rest, this seemed like a completely winnable game for the Rockets. So, what exactly went wrong?
Rebounding
This was evident the entire game: the Rockets looked completely helpless on the boards. Houston grabbed only 30 total rebounds the entire match, 10 below their season average of 40, and 19 fewer than the Cavs.