The Houston Rockets' season came to a crashing halt last night, undone by a familiar nemesis: the opponent's dominance on the boards. In a decisive Game 6 blowout, the Rockets' hopes of extending their playoff run were shattered, leaving fans and players alike to ponder what might have been.
Entering the game, the Rockets were no strangers to high-stakes, "win or go home" scenarios—this was their third straight elimination game. Playing on their home court at Toyota Center, they had the energy of the crowd behind them. But from the opening tip, it was clear that the same issue that plagued them in Game 5 would resurface: rebounding.
After a heartbreaking overtime loss in Game 3, head coach Ime Udoka and his young squad faced an uphill battle. They responded admirably, securing the series' first blowout win to avoid a sweep in Game 4. Then, in Game 5 on the road, they managed to steal another win, keeping their season alive. But warning signs were flashing. As we highlighted in our Game 5 recap, Deandre Ayton was a monster on the glass, hauling in 17 rebounds. It was clear that if Houston wanted to survive, they needed to contain him.
They did not. Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, grabbed 16 rebounds last night—nearly matching his Game 5 output. The good news? Only three of those were offensive boards, a significant improvement from the 10 he snagged in the previous game. The bad news? The Lakers as a team still dominated the offensive glass, pulling down 15 offensive rebounds, almost double Houston's total of eight.
That disparity told the story. The Rockets took nine fewer shot attempts than the Lakers and were outrebounded overall, leading directly to a 20-point loss. It was a brutal end to a season that showed flashes of promise but ultimately fell short.
One can't help but wonder: why didn't the Rockets find a way to fill the void left by Steven Adams? That's a question for another day, but as the offseason begins, it's a glaring issue the front office must address. For now, Houston's season is over—a disappointing finish to a campaign that had so much potential.