Month: March 2025

Rockets Seal Play-In Berth with 116-108 Win Over Magic

Amazing Eight.    Clinched.    Magical Sweep.

 

In the heart of the happiest place on Earth, the Rockets kept the good times rolling, as they beat the Magic, 116-108, in Orlando on Wednesday night. With the victory, Houston pushes their longest current winning streak in the league to eight games. Jalen Green scored 26 points to lead the Rockets in their latest win. Green’s starting to heat up, as he’s now scored at least 23 points in five straight games. Alperen Sengun added another double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Fred VanVleet chipped in 19 points. Tari Eason scored 16 points, and Dillon Brooks added 15 points. And to round out balanced offensive attack for Houston, Jabari Smith Jr. scored 13 points off the bench. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 31 points, and Franz Wagner added 20 points, but Orlando didn’t have the offensive firepower to match the sizzling Rockets on Wednesday night.

With the win in Orlando, Houston has now officially clinched a Play-In Berth, at the very least. The Rockets should be able to clinch a playoff berth within the next week or two, as only a dozen games or so remain in the regular season for most teams. This will be Houston’s first postseason appearance in five years, and a goal Ime Udoka and his staff should be should be very proud of, as the head coach of the Rockets has completely turned the team around in his two years at the helm.

Wednesday’s win also gives Houston a sweep over the Orlando Magic this season, and some revenge for the ugly blowout loss they suffered in Udoka’s first road game as the Rockets head coach. Houston now has a game edge over the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers for the second seed in the Western Conference. The Memphis Grizzlies sit two games back (essentially three as the Rockets own the tiebreaker) of second place. Houston controls their own destiny. With only a dozen games remaining, if the Rockets continue taking care of business, they can clinch the second overall seed in the brutally competitive West.

Up next, Houston will wrap up their Florida road trip with a visit to Vice City to battle the Miami Heat one Friday night. The Rockets will try and break a Heat curse, as Houston has lost a whopping nine straight games to Miami. Luckily, rumors are Amen Thompson is probable to make his return on Friday night after missing six straight games. And Houston will aim to keep the happy times rolling as they head to South Beach, aiming for nine straight wins in a row.

Rockets Hit the Road, Seeking to Sweep Magic in Orlando

Florida Trip.    Road Duet.    Aiming for Eight.   

Fresh off a perfect six-game homestand, the Rockets hit the road for a quick two trip stop in Florida. First up on the slate, the Orlando Magic await, as Houston visits DisneyWorld for the first time since their first road game of last season. The Rockets will cap off this two-game Florida trip with a meeting with the Miami Heat in South Beach on Friday night. Entering tonight’s matchup with Orlando, Houston is riding a season-high seven game winning streak, and the longest current streak in the league. Meanwhile, in their last game, Orlando is coming off an impressive road win in Cleveland that snapped the Cavaliers 16-game winning streak. 

Less than ten days ago, the Rockets won the first matchup between these squads, as they bested the Magic, 97-84, back in Houston on March 10th. Orlando is the worst offensive team in the entire NBA, although they’re one of the better defensive squads. The Rockets are aiming for their eighth straight victory tonight, as they hit the road for the first time since they beat the Pelicans in New Orleans on March 8th. Despite winning their last road game, Houston has a much better home record, at 26-10, compared to their 18-15 record away from Toyota Center this season. In their last road game, the Rockets did snap a gnarly eight game losing streak on the road. Hopefully, against two sub-par Floridian teams, Houston can resume their winning ways on the road.

Amen Thompson will remain out for tonight’s matchup in Orlando, but there’s a chance he could return on Friday against the Miami Heat. For now, the Rockets need to continue to thrive without their versatile Swiss army knife. Coming off an emotionally thrilling comeback victory to close their homestand, Houston will be aiming to carry this recent momentum on the road, as the squad is seeking their eighth straight win tonight. The Rockets are currently in the second seed in the Western Conference, with the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers breathing down their neck right, not far behind. If Houston wants to win the war for the West’s second seed, they’ll need to win games like tonight against the Orlando Magic. Don’t be surprised if Houston finds themselves in another close crunch time battle, but this squad should have enough sweep Orlando. After beating the Magic earlier this month, expect the Rockets to do the same on Friday night as Houston begins their mini Florida road trip.

 

Kia Center:  Orlando, Florida

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (44-25):  White

Orlando Magic (32-37):  Black

 

Tip-Off:  6:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Comeback Kings: Rockets Storm Past 76ers, 144-137, in OT Thriller to Win 7th Straight

March Madness: NBA Style.    The Jalen and Jabari Show.    Streaking.

In one of the craziest NBA games of the entire season, the Rockets rallied from a 25-point deficit to stun the 76ers, 144-137, in overtime on Monday night. Houston’s comeback from a quarter down is tied for the largest in their franchise’s history. The win gives the Rockets their seventh straight win, as Houston completes their longest homestand of the season with a 6-0 record. This game was truly the NBA’s version of March Madness. The Sixers led by 25 points, 88-63, with a little under ten minutes remaining in the third quarter. By the end of the period, the Rockets had completely erased this deficit, finishing the quarter on a 39-14 run to tie the game entering the final quarter. In the final frame, Philly built multiple ten point leads, but Houston rallied each time. The Rockets used a 10-2 run at the end of the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.

The play of the game came at the end of regulation, as Jabari Smith Jr. perfectly missed a free throw on purpose, which then allowed Alperen Sengun to rebound the ball and tip it in to tie the game and send it to overtime. The Sixers had a few seconds to score after Sengun’s tip, but couldn’t capitalize. And in overtime, the Rockets finally grabbed a lead for good, as they outscored the Sixers 13-6 in extra time en route to the win. Sengun dominated in OT after being benched for most of the fourth quarter.

Incredibly, Houston didn’t hold a lead in this game until overtime. The Rockets trailed nearly the duration of regular time, besides tying it in a few key possessions. Philly’s Quentin Grimes arguably had the best performance of any Houston opponent this season. Grimes exploded for a career-high 46 points on some absolutely ridiculous Steph Curry-like shots, and grabbed 13 rebounds. Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. essentially saved the Rockets, as both players led Houston with 30 points. Tari Eason scored 21 points, but was ejected after arguing a call that got him fouled out. Fred VanVleet was also tossed from the game after he was assessed a questionable Flagrant 2 penalty on a defensive play in transition. And Dillon Brooks scored 25 points, but fouled out late in overtime, as the Rockets had lost three key players at that points besides the already sidelined Amen Thompson.

Houston still found a way to win, and willed themselves back into this game, beating a Sixers team that played incredibly hard and hit some tough shots in the process, especially in the first half. Despite being severely undermanned, Philly nearly pulled off the upset. One could say the Rockets got the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but they won, and at this point in the season, that’s all that matters.

After their historic comeback on Monday night, Houston currently now has the NBA’s longest winning streak, at seven games. The Rockets will hit the road next for a couple fo games in Florida against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat, both very winnable matchups for Houston. Only thirteen games remain in the season for the Rockets, as they strive to hang on to the West’s second seed in what should be a thrilling finish to the NBA’s regular season.

Red-Hot Rockets Host Hobbled 76ers in Homestand Finale

Seeking Seventh Heaven.    Undermanned Sixers.    Maintain Focus.

The Rockets close out their longest homestand of the season with a Monday night St. Patrick’s Day showdown with the depleted Philadelphia 76ers. Houston is rolling, currently riding a season-high six game winning streak entering tonight’s matchup. The Sixers are coming off a win over the NBA’s other heavily undermanned team (the Dallas Mavericks) yesterday afternoon. And the Rockets currently find themselves in a battle for the second spot in the Western Conference. Houston holds the second seed, with the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Memphis Grizzlies only a game or less behind.

These Sixers will be even more undermanned than when the Rockets recently walloped a heavily-wounded Mavericks team on Friday night. Philly will have a whopping 11 players out in this game due to injury. Other than Quentin Grimes, the starting lineup will be mainly unrecognizable players from the G-League. Grimes has flourished since coming to the Sixers, and he’s reveled the most in increased playing time due to Philly’s copious amount of injuries. As long as the Rockets can keep Grimes in check, they should be able to beat this Sixers team. Even if Grimes has a huge game, there’s no reason for Houston to lose to a bad team with a ridiculous amount of injuries. Amen Thompson will remain out tonight for the Rockets, but he’s close to returning from his injury, according to Head Coach Ime Udoka.

Houston is aiming to extend their season-high winning streak to seven games with a win tonight. And the Rockets have no excuse to lose this game, as the Sixers barely have enough players to participate in the match. However, as evidenced in their previous win over the Bulls on Saturday night, Houston has had the unfortunate nature of overlooking bad teams at points during this season. Despite all their injuries, Philly still has professionals who are fighting and auditioning for future playoff time, whether it be with the Sixers or other potential suitors. Anything can happen in the NBA, especially if the Rockets don’t come out with energy and can’t maintain focus. Hopefully Houston is ready to close out this homestand with a victory, which would make this a perfect home stretch for the Rockets, and extend their winning streak to seven games.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Philadelphia 76ers (23-44):  Red

Houston Rockets (43-25):  “City Edition” White

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Edge Bulls, 117-114, for 6th Straight Win

Sixth Heaven.    Green Ascending.    Moving Up.

After a slow start, Houston used a dominant third quarter to take control of the game, as the Rockets beat the Bulls, 117-114, on Saturday night. After allowing Chicago to score 36 points in the second period, Houston trailed by five points at halftime. However, the Rockets buckled down defensively in the third period, as they allowed the Bulls to score only 18 points in the third quarter. The victory gives Houston their sixth straight, also marking their season-high for a winning streak.

Jalen Green led the Rockets with 28 points. Alperen Sengun score 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. And Fred VanVleet kept Houston within distance in the second quarter, scoring 18 of his 23 points in the second period. FVV truly has been a calming presence since his return to the lineup, and this was his best game in his third appearance since returning from an ankle injury. Coby White led the Bulls with 23 points, and Tre Jones added 19 for Chicago, but once the Rockets started rolling in the second half, the Bulls had no answers for a red-hot Houston team.

With this latest victory, Jalen Green has now scored at least 23 points in three straight games. This is after Green struggled to reach that mark in the previous five matches beforehand. It appears that Jalen is finally rounding into form, as only 14 games remain now in the regular season for the Rockets. And Houston needs the best version of Green if they want to reach their potential and goals come playoff time.

It’s looking like the fight for the second seed in the Western Conference will be a four-team battle. And after Saturday night’s win over the Bulls, the Rockets now boast a record of 43-25. Due to other results across the league, Houston has now leapfrogged three teams (the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Memphis Grizzlies) to move from the fifth to the second spot in the West. So far, the Rockets own the tiebreaker with all three teams (with two games remaining against Denver and LA).

It will be tough, but Houston can certainly finish with the second seed if they continue playing strong basketball. Amen Thompson is also nearing a return, according to Head Coach Ime Udoka. Once Twin returns, the Rockets will be at full strength, and a very dangerous team for the rest of the league once the playoffs arrive.

Rockets Aim for Sixth Straight Win as Bulls Come to Town

Red Battle.    Hot Horns.    Final Grind.

The NBA’s reddest teams square off as the Houston Rockets host the Chicago Bulls for a Saturday night showdown. The Rockets are aiming for their sixth straight win tonight, while the Bulls are seeking their fifth consecutive victory. Chicago is the hottest team in the East besides the juggernaut that is the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are currently riding an NBA season-high 16-game winning streak. One of Houston’s most impressive accomplishments this during this regular season was certainly sweeping the Cavs in consecutive games.

This Bulls team has undergone some sweeping changes over the past couple of seasons. Gone are the days of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan (both are ironically on the same team again, with the Sacramento Kings). Coby White has been on a tear for Chicago, scoring at least 20 points or more  in their last seven games. Besides, White, the Bulls have sharpshooting Kevin “Red Velvet” Huerter, big man Nikola Vucevic, and Zack Collins as their top option off the bench. Defensively, the Rockets also need to keep an eye on streaky guard Tre Jones.

Tonight also marks the final back-to-back of the season for Houston, as they’re coming off a 133-96 beatdown last night over their instate rivals, the Dallas Mavericks. Therefore, as it’s been protocol all season, Tari Eason and Steven Adams will likely sit this matchup out against Chicago for precautionary reasons due to injury management. The Rockets will be slightly undermanned, as Amen Thompson remains out with an injury, but Houston still has enough firepower to beat this Bulls team.

Expect a close game, as the Rockets still struggle on the second night of back-to-backs, and the Bulls have the rest advantage having not played since Thursday night. Hopefully Houston maintains the focus and consistency they’ve shown in all four quarters throughout this homestand against a Bulls team that’s better than any of the teams the Rockets have beaten so far during this stretch. After their win last night, Houston jumped from fifth to third place in the Western Conference. And the Rockets are still only one game in the loss column behind the Denver Nuggets for the second seed. Houston needs to continue taking care of business at home against inferior competition, and the Rockets could potentially own the second spot out West come season’s end.

Toyota Center: Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Chicago Bulls (28-38):  Black

Houston Rockets (42-25):  Red

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Punish Mavericks, 133-96, for Fifth Straight Win

Winning Time.    Glass Eaters.    Circling Around.

Houston led by two after the first quarter, but launched past Dallas over the final three frames, as the Rockets beat the Mavericks, 133-96, on Friday night. The win gives Houston their fifth straight, as the squad continues to roll during this homestand. Overall, this is the Rockets 42nd victory of the season, guaranteeing that Houston will own a winning record for the first time in five years. And with the dub, the Rockets take the season-series over the Mavs, 3-1, as these teams won’t meet again until next season (unless something odd happens and they end up meeting in the playoffs, which is very unlikely).

Tari Eason continues to play the best basketball of his young career. Eason scored a career-high 30 points on an extremely efficient 11-for-15 shooting from the floor. Jalen Green scored 29 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, and Alperen Sengun contributed 16 points and 15 boards in the win. Houston dominated the rebounding battle, tuning into complete glass-eaters. The Rockets nearly doubled-up the Mavs on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 67-34, a whopping plus 33 on the boards for Houston. The Rockets also nearly had twice as many assists as the Mavs. Houston had 27 assists to Dallas’ 14, as the Rockets kept the ball circling around and moving, resulting in efficient scoring opportunities.

Granted, this Dallas team was about as decimated due to injuries as any team Houston has played, or will play, this season. Still, it was nice to see the Rockets take care of business, and avoid divulging into bad habits of the past. Little-known Brandon Williams led the Mavs with 25 points off the bench, but Houston controlled this game from start to finish.  Before this home strech, every Rockets game seemed to be close, and go down to the wire. However,  during this homestand, Houston has comfortably been in control of every matchup, resulting in less-strenuous victories. 

Up next, the Rockets will play in this same building as they host the Chicago Bulls for the fifth leg of this six-game homestand tomorrow night. Chicago has won four straight games, so Houston will need to prepared on Saturday night against arguably the toughest opponent they’ll face during this season-high homestand. Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard both remained out for the Mavs win, and won’t play tomorrow night either. The Rockets still have enough firepower to push the winning streak to six games, as they aim to sweep the Bulls on Saturday night, and keep the winning times rolling.

Rockets Host Hindered Mavericks in Texas Style Showdown

I-45 Finale.    The Leftovers.    Strive for Five.    

The Rockets welcome the ravaged Dallas Mavericks to town for a Friday night fight at Toyota Center. Tonight’s tilt marks the finale of the I-45 rivalry this season. The Rockets won the first two matchups, before falling to the Mavs in the previous meeting, the “Protest Game,” Dallas’ first home game since the Luka Doncic trade. This is the fourth leg of Houston’s season-long homestand, and the Rockets are seeking their fifth straight win in a row tonight. Houston is aiming to stay perfect on this homestand with a win over Dallas in the season-series finale.

Meanwhile, the Mavs are moving in the opposite direction. Dallas has lost six of their last seven games, and seven of their last nine overall. Since the trade that shocked the sports world on February 1st, affairs have gone from bad to worse in the Big D. In the previous meeting between these Texas foes, Anthony Davis suffered an  injury in the first half, and hasn’t played since. And a little over a week ago, Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending injury. The Mavs have slid from comfortably contending for playoff spot, to now clinging to tenth place in the West, hoping to sneak into the Play-In tournament.

Houston’s defense will need to key-in on Klay Thompson, Max Christie, Naji Marshall, and Spencer Dinwiddie among others. Regardless, the Rockets have no excuse to lose this matchup tonight. Houston is by far the superior basketball team, and the Rockets are trying to stay in the hunt for home-court advantage in the Western Conference. Other than Amen Thompson’s absence due to an ankle injury, Houston is fairly healthy entering tonight’s game.

During this current winning streak, the Rockets have won all their games in fairy comfortable fashion. Expect a closer game tonight, as Dallas is injury-riddled, and Houston could potentially sleepwalk into the opening tip. Hopefully, the Rockets can awake in time to put the Mavericks away, in what should be an exciting game on Friday night. This game also marks the first of two straight at Toyota Center, as the Rockets will host the Chicago Bulls in this same building tomorrow night. It’s been a while since Houston has had a close game, expect a tighter contest than expected when these Texas foes face off tonight, as the Rockets lengthy homestand continues.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Dallas Mavericks (33-34):  White

Houston Rockets (41-25):  Black

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass

Rockets Burn Suns, 111-104, Win Fourth Straight

Poetry in Motion.    Launching Ahead.    Halfway Home.

Fueled by Jalen Green’s 29 points, the Rockets beat the Suns, 111-104, on Wednesday night. The victory is Houston’s fourth straight win overall, as the Rockets continue to roll as we wind down the final month of the season. Alperen Sengun scored 20 points and added 7 rebounds. Dillon Brooks stayed hot offensively, scoring 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting, whilst Tari Eason provided 15 points and 10 boards for Houston. And in his return, Fred VanVleet scored 10 points. More importantly, FVV kept the Rockets under control as Houston rolled to their fourth straight win. On defense, the Rockets held Phoenix’s Big Three in check. Bradley Beal led the Suns with an above-average game, scoring 25 points. However, Houston held the potent duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to only 19 points apiece.

In the second quarter, Steven Adams and Mason Plumlee got into a wrestling match of sorts, with both men hitting the ground with authority. Both players were ejected from the contest, but nothing egregious happened to warrant any future fines from the NBA. Sengun had arguably the best pass of this entire Rockets season. Late in the fourth quarter, Sengun had an incredible no-look behind-the-back dish to Tari Eason for the bucket. The Wizard’s had a few passes in that vein this season, but Wednesday night’s was the best so far… pure poetry in motion.

Houston is now halfway though their current six-game homestand, the longest of the season. The Rockets have taken care of business as they’ve built a four-game winning streak, and there’s no reason the squad shouldn’t continue the streak throughout this home stretch. The ravaged Dallas Mavericks, the consistently below-average Chicago Bulls, and the disappointing Cancun-bound Philadelphia 76ers are Houston’s remaining opponents on this home stand. And if they continue to beat the teams they’re supposed to, the Rockets have a chance to launch ahead in the standings, potentially even all the way back up to the second seed.

The playoff race is getting closer, as Houston is currently only one game in the loss column behind all three teams they’re chasing for the Western Conference’s second seed: the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Lakers. And currently, the Rockets own the tiebreaker will all three of those teams. Houston still has remaining matchups with the Nuggets and Lakers to decide those tiebreakers, but the Rockets own the tiebreaker with Grizz, besting them in three out of four meetings this season.

Rockets Seek Fourth Straight Win, Battle with Desperate Suns

Third Leg.    Fred’s Return.    Future Ramifications.

The Rockets aim for their fourth straight win as they host the desperate Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. Tonight’s tilt is the third leg of Houston’s current six game homestand, their longest of the season. The Rockets locked down the Orlando Magic, allowing a season-low in points allowed en route to a 97-84 win in their previous game. Houston is aiming to stay perfect on this homestand, and the Rockets are looking for their fourth consecutive win as approximately one month remains in the regular season.

Phoenix is coming off a tough two-point loss on the road, 120-118, at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. The Suns are currently in 11th place in the competitive Western Conference, on the outside, desperately looking to sneak into the Play-In tournament. At the tenth seed is the Dallas Mavericks, and given the Mavs recent implosion, Phoenix certainly still has a chance to sneak past Dallas.

Houston will still be without Amen Thompson for Wednesday night’s matchup. However, Fred VanVleet will make his return tonight after missing the last five games due to an ankle injury. Hopefully FVV avoids re-aggravating that ankle as he did in his initial return at the end of last month.

This matchup has future ramifications beyond just this season and these squad’s respective fights for playoff positioning. Due to past trades, the Rockets own the Suns first round pick in this upcoming draft. Houston can kill two birds with one stone by beating Phoenix tonight. A win will push the Suns further down into the draft lottery, and if they can’t climb out of the dark, the Rockets will own Phoenix’s pick in this summer’s draft.

Despite all the trade rumors and his team’s overall record, Kevin Durant is still one of the best offensive players in the world, and a nightmare for defenses. Houston’s defense will be extra-tested with thee heart and soul of their defense, Thompson, sidelined with an ankle injury. As with KD, his teammate Devin Booker can explode for 50 points or even more on any given night. Phoenix is the best team Houston will face during this home stretch of the schedule. Expect a close and competitive game at Toyota Center, as the Rockets aim for their fourth straight win on Wednesday night.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Phoenix Suns (30-35):  Black

Houston Rockets (40-25):  “City Edition” White

 

Tip-Off:  7:00 PM CT

TV:  Space City Home Network,  NBA League Pass