Lodging Issue Proved Costly For Rockets During Kings Defeat

On Sunday night, nan Houston Rockets squared disconnected against nan Sacramento Kings pinch revenge connected nan line.

The Rockets sought an opportunity to avenge a disappointment of a crippled past month.

Houston faced a daunting, disastrous nonaccomplishment successful December, connected a nighttime that they led by 14 points successful nan 4th quarter.

Sacramento walked them down, nabbing a triumph successful overtime.

This clip around, Dennis Schröder, nan erstwhile Rockets defender who deed nan game-winning shot, was retired of action owed to suspension. 

The Rockets trotted retired a starting lineup of Aaron Holiday, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun, arsenic Sengun made his first crippled backmost from an ankle wounded that forced him to miss 3 games.

(And practically four, arsenic he went down conscionable 1 infinitesimal into Houston's crippled against nan Dallas Mavericks).

The Rockets came retired flat, shooting 5-of-18 from heavy successful nan first half. The 2nd half wasn't overmuch better, arsenic they changeable 2-of-12 from deep.

The Rockets, a squad that dominates connected nan solid (on astir nights erstwhile they win), were outhustled by nan Kings 45-44 -- a astonishing improvement for a Kings squad that averaged conscionable 30 rebounds per nighttime entering nan crippled and 10 violative rebounds per game.

Sacramento grabbed 18 violative rebounds to Houston's 19.

Houston mislaid 111-98.

The Rockets fell flat.

As it turns out, Houston had a comparatively unusually agelong day, arsenic they were forced to recreation from San Francisco to Sacramento connected nan time of nan game.

Which is astir a hairsbreadth nether 100 miles.

The Rockets were incapable to successfully book nan edifice of their prime successful Sacramento, arsenic some nan Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks had reserved each of nan rooms.

One would surmise that an NBA squad could simply book a edifice anywhere, right? Maybe astatine a Holiday Inn aliases Hilton?

Not quite, arsenic explained by John Hollinger of The Athletic. 

"The Rockets couldn’t conscionable enactment someplace else? Maybe successful theory, but not successful practice. You can’t really enactment astatine nan La Quinta Inn pinch an NBA team. In astir of nan league’s mid-size-to-small markets, only 1 aliases 2 hotels are plausible options for an NBA team’s walking party. Among nan factors to consider: tons of suites; other agelong beds; convention rooms and different accommodation for squad meetings and meals; having capable rooms for an full statement (often 50 aliases much group pinch players, coaches, staff, announcers and execs); and nan expertise to do “team travel” contracts pinch provisions for illustration 5:30 p.m. PT checkout times (normally erstwhile nan past autobus leaves nan edifice for a 7 p.m. game)."

This is surely not why nan Rockets couldn't hit nan lowly Kings. They had ample chances to triumph nan game.

And they shouldn't struggle pinch teams of that caliber (although they person each season).

But it is absorbing to note.