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.