50-Win Season Would Put the Houston Rockets in Elite Company

The Houston Rockets attempt to win their 50th game of the season Wednesday. A 50-win season would put the Rockets in elite company.

Mar 27, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka watches the game against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are back at the Toyota Center Wednesday night as they host the team with the worst record in the NBA, the Utah Jazz. The Rockets are coming off a tough loss to the Los Angeles Lakers 104-98 in a game that came down to the last few minutes.

The Rockets are still in control of not only clinching a playoff spot but also home-court advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs. With a win tonight, the Rockets will clinch a playoff spot for the first time in five years.

Not only would a win guarantee the Rockets a spot in the playoffs, but it would also be their 50th win of the season. The Rockets have not won 50 games since the 2018-19 season, when they finished 53-29. If the Rockets win Wednesday night, that will give them 10 50-plus-win seasons in the last twenty years.

Only three other teams have won 50-plus games at least 10 times in the last 20 years: the San Antonio Spurs (13 times), the Boston Celtics (10 times) and the Dallas Mavericks (10 times).

Despite not winning a championship since the mid-90s, the Rockets have been among the most successful franchises in the last 20 years. In the 2017-18 season, the Rockets achieved their most wins in a season, finishing 65-17 and within one win of the NBA Finals.

The Rockets have had a remarkable turnaround in the last two seasons since Ime Udoka took over. Before Udoka took over, the Rockets had their worst three-year stretch in history. The Rockets won 59 games during that period and decided to rebuild after James Harden's departure.

Of course, the Rockets have bigger goals than just clinching a top-six seed, as they also want to secure home-court advantage. The Rockets have several players who have never played in the postseason, and starting the first round at home would make their road to the second round a lot easier.

After they host the Thunder on Friday, the Rockets finish the regular season with three out of four on the road. That makes tonight's game even more critical with such a demanding schedule to end the regular season. The Rockets look to get back into the win column Wednesday night as they welcome the Utah Jazz into the Toyota Center.