NBA Power Rankings: Rockets Rising with 5-Game Win Streak?
The Houston Rockets have won their last five games and seven of their last eight.
It's a sign of a team that's hoping to cling on to any small hopes of reaching the Play-In Tournament.
Rockets Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr.
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Even with the win streak, the team still sits three games back of the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. The Rockets have also only made a slight move up in CBS Sports' latest power rankings. Houston now sits at No. 19 after being No. 20 last week.
"Credit to the Rockets for at least making the Warriors and Lakers sweat in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament race," CBS Sports writes. "Seizing the 10th spot still seems a bit far-fetched, but winning seven of eight games is a great start."
If the Rockets can keep their win streak going this week, their chances of catching their rivals will certainly grow. But with only 15 games left for each team on the schedule, the margin for error is razor thin.
That means the Rockets will likely have to win each game they play this week against the Washington Wizards (Tue.), Chicago Bulls (Thu.), Utah Jazz (Sat.) and Portland Trail Blazers (Mon.). All of these games are winnable, so if the Rockets have a nine-game win streak at this time next week, then they should rise up the power rankings and standings once again, applying even more pressure to the teams directly above them.
