Big Wins Could Bring Belief in the Rockets Back

The overall view of the Houston Rockets' contention chances has taken a hit over the past several weeks due to some difficult losses and challenges to resolve. Houston can bring back some of the belief with big victories in primetime.

Feb 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) celebrates after scoring in the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are looking to regain some of the hype they accrued to start the season with their dominant offensive and defensive play shortly after the year began. As the season has progressed, the Rockets have run into different problems that will require solutions before the team reaches the postseason. In the meantime, picking up a few primetime wins could bring some of the belief back for a team that had championship aspirations to start the season.

Many of the factors that helped Houston win big games early will still be necessary throughout the end of the season.

They'll need big scoring performances from Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun, elite defense from Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, as well as few big shots from either Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, or Dorian Finney-Smith. Ideally, all three will have major impacts against top opponents.

When those players can't provide the necessary performance, the team is at a major disadvantage against some of the league's top teams. Scoring in clutch moments becomes difficult when they can only rely on Durant and Sengun to initiate offense.

Thompson's recent inability to score has also hampered the Rockets as they have tried to get back on track.

His athleticism is a major part of what the Rockets can accomplish offensively, attacking off-ball and occupying the dunker spot to create dump off pass opportunities for players who get into the paint. However, the Rockets have depended on Thompson as a ball handler as well. So far, he hasn't proven skilled enough to be able to consistently beat the first defender and get to the second level.

Even without a quality jump shot, getting to the paint at will would significantly improve Thompson's ability as a scorer. It's not likely that he is able to turn his handle around for this season, but it's an element that has a big impact on whether the Rockets can beat the league's best teams.

Beating top teams is the only way to bring back belief that the current iteration of the Rockets can truly compete at a high level. Discussions around the concern for Houston's clutch play is creating doubt that the Rockets can win consistently in a 7-game series against other contending teams.

While the Rockets have proven they can at least match the performance of these opposing top teams, they haven't been able to win consistently in big games. This could be a concerning trend as the games grow more important to end the season.