Did Their Extended Streak Overextend the Rockets?

It was the right idea but at the wrong time. Winning twenty-two games in a row, the last ten without All-Pro center Yao Ming, may have proved to be the undoing of the Houston Rockets. After soaring from also-rans to the top of the Western Conference, the Rockets have now dropped three out of their last four games, all to playoff teams. And by rather large margins. The Detroit Pistons stopped Houston’s 22-game streak on Tuesday with a resounding 20-point 94-74 rout. Then New Orleans followed up with a 21-point drubbing, 90-69, on Wednesday. On Friday, the Rockets finally got back on the winning track, squeezing past Golden State, the eighth seed in the West, 109-106. But tonight, they found themselves on the losing end of a 122-113 score at the hands of the Phoenix Suns. The Rockets defense allowed Amare Stoudemire to rack up 38 points, including a Phoenix Suns record 20 out of 20 free throws. Stoudemire also had 13 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Shaquille O’Neal scored 23 points - ... [link]