The Rockets no longer could delude themselves, or perhaps didn't want to. The playoff carrot that realistically had long been beyond their reach had moved past even fantasy.

After an uninspired showing against the Clippers, the season had been reduced to 26 games and the search for a replacement source of inspiration had become their archeological dig. It must be here somewhere.

The usual motivations had ceased to work. With the preseason goals all but mathematically gone, and Tuesday's defeat serving to remind how much motivation is needed, the Rockets looked at the last six weeks knowing they needed something to drive them.