Rockets’ Potential First-Round Matchups With Under A Week Left in the Regular Season

With less than one week left in the NBA regular season, the Houston Rockets are gearing up for the first round of the playoffs. At 52-27, Houston has clinched home-court advantage and nearly has the second seed in the Western Conference locked up. However, their opponent remains to be seen.

At the moment, seeds three through eight in the West are separated by two games or less, and with three or four regular-season games remaining, the standings could shift drastically.

Any one of the teams in the playoff hunt could collapse down to the Play-In Tournament or rise to get home-court advantage in the first round. The Rockets could technically face one of six teams:

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies have been on a bit of a freefall over the last month or so. Since March 1, Memphis has gone 8-11 since March 1 and fired head coach Taylor Jenkins with nine games left in the regular season. It was a perplexing move so late in the NBA year, and now the Grizzlies have fallen to the eighth seed at the moment.

Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. still lead a relatively efficient offense in Memphis, ranking sixth in such rating (117.1). However, the Grizzlies' problems over the last few weeks could stop them from making a postseason run, especially if their first-round opponent is Houston.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Less than a year removed from their Western Conference Finals run, the Timberwolves have struggled for the greater part of the season. After swapping out Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, it took some time for the two to get acclimated in Minnesota.

However, the Timberwolves have shown improvement since the All-Star break. They've gone 15-7 since then and have won five in a row. Interestingly enough, Minnesota ranks in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating. This makes them a scary matchup for the Rockets if the two face off in the first round, especially because the season series is tied 2-2. Houston is capable, though, and it would be an entertaining battle between two fun teams.

Golden State Warriors

Perhaps the scariest team on the list, the Warriors have been one of, if not the hottest team in the league since the trade deadline. The move to acquire Jimmy Butler was questioned at first, but it's opened up so much more opportunities for Stephen Curry and Co.

Since the deadline, Golden State is 21-7 and ranks top 10 in both offensive and defensive ratings, with a second-best 109.7 rating on defense. Not only are the Warriors getting offense with the addition of Butler, but they're more prone to shutting teams down on the other end.

The Rockets most recently defeated the Warriors 106-96 on April 6, but don't be fooled. Golden State is a scary team and has a case to make a deep postseason run. If the Warriors unlock Playoff Jimmy and get it going, it'll be tough for Houston to stop them.

LA Clippers

The Clippers have also been red-hot as of late, having gone 14-5 since March 1. While star forward Kawhi Leonard has struggled to stay on the court again this season, James Harden has emerged back into All-Star form, averaging 22.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.6 assists.

LA has more of a well-rounded group after the trade deadline, acquiring Bogdan Bogdanovic and adding him to a core of Harden, Leonard, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac. Kris Dunn, although an offensive liability at times, is an elite defender. It doesn't hurt to have another solid rebounder and facilitator in Ben Simmons either.

The Clippers' offense could be a problem for Houston if the two face off in the first round. More notably, LA's experience trumps Houston's by a mile, and that matters in high-stakes games. It would be an elite offense against one of the league's best defenses.

Denver Nuggets

A little over a week ago, it seemed ludicrous to envision the Nuggets falling back to the Play-In. However, they've lost four in a row and are just a half-game ahead of the Timberwolves. Things could go very south for Denver if the team falters, which makes this another nightmare matchup for the Rockets.

MVP candidate Nikola Jokic is averaging a 30-point triple-double (just think about that for a second), and while the Nuggets' defense isn't on the same level as Houstons, their offense beats the Rockets out by a mile.

The Rockets' saving grace would be the Nuggets' lack of depth, while Houston boasts plenty of options on the wings. While Jokic and his prototype (Alperen Sengun) battle it out in the paint, Houston's guards and forwards could make easy work of Denver.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are not expected to lose these next four games and fall back to the Play-In, but it's certainly possible. Los Angeles faces Oklahoma City, Dallas, Houston, and Portland to close out the season.

While the Lakers have been noticeably better with the addition of Luka Doncic, their lack of depth at the center position makes this easier for Sengun. However, similar to the majority of the teams on this list, the Rockets lack experience compared to Los Angeles. Plus, the Lakers have LeBron James, who feasts on younger teams in the postseason.

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.