Houston Rockets Having Best Month-Long Stretch in Several Years

The Houston Rockets are one game from clinching the second seed in large part to because of their stellar play in the last month.

Apr 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka talks with players during the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are in Los Angeles on Tuesday as they prepare to take on the Clippers on Wednesday and the Lakers on Friday. The Rockets are the hottest team in the NBA after back-to-back wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sunday over the Golden State Warriors.

The Rockets clinched the playoffs a week ago and clinched home-court advantage in the first round Sunday. The Rockets have three games left in the season, and their magic number to clinch the second seed is down to one game.

The Rockets are in a great position as the playoffs get closer. No matter what happens, they can't finish lower than the third seed. A big reason for that is their play over the last month. Since March 6, the Rockets have been 15-2 in their last 17 games.

That 15-2 mark is the Rockets' best 17-game stretch since March of 2018. Of course, in that 2017-18 season, the Rockets finished with their best regular season record at 65-17 and made it to the Western Conference Finals.

If the Rockets win two out of their next three games, they will have their best record since the 2017-18 season. The Rockets aren't just defeating the bottom-tier teams, either. On the season, they have beaten the top six teams in each conference at least once. The Rockets are also the only team to beat the league's two best teams, the Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers, multiple times.

The Rockets swept the Cavaliers earlier this season and are 2-3 against the league's best team, the Thunder. It's been a remarkable season for the Rockets, as many experts predicted the Rockets would be fighting for a play-in spot, not the No. 2 seed in the toughest conference in the NBA.

The Rockets do have a demanding schedule to end the season. As mentioned earlier, they play the Lakers and Clippers in Los Angeles to finish off their regular-season road schedule before returning home for their regular-season finale. Despite the demanding schedule, the Rockets have proven that they can compete with any team and defeat any team in the NBA.