Do the Houston Rockets Still Have a Chance at Home Court Advantage?

After back-to-back losses to the Lakers and a tough overtime defeat to the Timberwolves—after leading by double digits—many believed the Rockets had blown their shot at home-court advantage.

The Rockets had lost the tiebreaker to the Denver Nuggets earlier, with their last loss in Denver, and with two losses in a row to the Lakers, they had lost the tiebreaker to them as well. To make matters even worse, the Rockets were now in a fight with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the sixth seed and a small chance of falling into a play-in spot.

The Lakers were on a winning streak and were pulling away from the Rockets in the standings. That was five games ago, and things have changed quickly in several areas as jockeying for playoff position intensifies. With the Rockets' win over the Utah Jazz Friday night, the Rockets have won five straight games and only trailed for one minute during the entire three-game home stand. That has opened the door for the Rockets to possibly grab one of the four home-court spots in the first round.

With the Playoffs Looming the Rockets Could Still Claim Home Court in the First Round

The Rockets have not only won five straight games but also have picked up ground on the Los Angeles Lakers and moved ahead of the Timberwolves. During the Rockets' winning streak, the Timberwolves and the Suns have both lost two straight games. That put the Rockets two full games ahead of the Timberwolves and, with the Suns' last loss on Thursday, clinched Houston's playoff spot.

The Rockets have not made up any games on the Nuggets, who are still on a seven-game winning streak. The Lakers have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games, so the Rockets are still behind Los Angeles by 2 games, but that may soon change, as the Lakers received bad news Friday evening.

Several reports have stated that Luka Doncic could miss the rest of the regular season and even the first round of the playoffs due to a strained hamstring. That is a devastating blow to the Lakers, especially considering Doncic was playing at an MVP level this season.

Now the Lakers have to finish their regular season without their star. The Lakers still have two games left with the San Antonio Spurs and one left with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Of course, it is a chance for both teams to rest players, but the Lakers are also dealing with something more daunting than their schedule: being without Doncic for the foreseeable future.

With Doncic's injury, the Lakers' seemingly safe spot in the third seed is now in jeopardy, and the Rockets may be one of the beneficiaries. The Rockets currently trail the Lakers by two games in the loss column, but in reality, it is three games because of the tiebreaker. The odds are still against the Rockets catching them in the standings, but with Doncic being out, the Nuggets have a real chance to pass the Lakers, which would mean a 4-5 matchup for the Rockets against an injured Lakers team.

That does mean that if the Rockets advanced, they might have to face the defending champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder. You still would rather have the easier of the three first-round matchups and then take your chance in the second round. Even though the Rockets more than likely won't have homecourt advantage in the first round, they can still go into the playoffs with more confidence now than they had a couple of weeks ago.