1 Stud, 2 duds from Rockets' tough loss to Trail Blazers

Back-to-backs are difficult in the NBA. Even a team as hot as the Houston Rockets will likely lose the second of two consecutive games.

That said, when you're playing the same team, that excuse doesn't fly. They're playing the backend of a back-to-back as well. It's even more disheartening when that team is projected to land in the lottery. That happened on Saturday when the Rockets lost a 104-98 contest to the Trail Blazers.

The offense never clicked. The Rockets looked a step slow on most of their possessions in this one. Getting production from anybody was a struggle.

At least they had one stud performer.

Stud: Amen Thompson

Thompson will never take a loss lying down. He's embodying Ime Udoka's gritty culture as well as any player on this roster.

On Saturday, he played his heart out. Thompson finished with 19 points on 7/11 shooting from the field to go with 7 rebounds and a steal. On a night when every other Rocket was in the gutter, Thompson kept this contest close.

He was also 1/1 from long-range. For those who aren't familiar with math, one attempt is not very many attempts. Still, something felt notable about the corner three Thompson knocked down. His mechanics remain clunky, but Thompson launched this shot without any hesitation.

If he can develop into even a competent three-point shooter, it changes everything for the Rockets. For now, Thompson is one of their most consistent players. On Saturday, he was the only one worth writing about:

Positively, anyway.

Dud: Jalen Green

Thompson attempted one three-pointer last night. Green attempted nine.

They hit the same number though.

This has been the story for Green throughout much of the year. To begin the season, he was on an absolute tear. Since then, he's cooled down without heating back up. In the aggregate, he's arguably having the worst season of his four-year career.

Green is shooting 30.7% from three-point range. His True Shooting % (TS%) of 50.2% is the worst of his career. He is among the least efficient high-volume offensive players in the NBA.

Excuses abound. Green has a difficult shot diet. This roster isn't constructed for him. Sure. Green has done nothing to inspire the Rockets to build around him, and hitting difficult shots was supposed to be his specialty. This season has been a disaster for the recently extended guard, and last night was no exception.

Dud: Fred VanVleet

Yikes.

With the game in hand, VanVleet threw up the strangest shot one could imagine. He was trying to foul bait. There was no foul to speak of, and VanVleet threw the game away in the process.

One bad play does not a dud make. Unfortunately, VanVleet struggled throughout the entire contest. He finished with 8 points on 4/13 shooting from the field. It got worse for VanVleet too: near the end of the game, he had some choice words for an official that will surely lead to a suspension.

In some respects, the combined struggles of VanVleet and Green make the Rockets' season more impressive. They're 12-6 despite rostering one of the least productive starting backcourts in the NBA. Credit Alperen Sengun (who was mediocre in Saturday's action - neither a stud nor a dud) and the Terror Twins.

They just weren't able to carry the Rockets in this back-to-back.