Every Game From Now on Takes on Significant Importance for the Houston Rockets

Entering Saturday's rematch with the New Orleans Pelicans, the Houston Rockets are right in the middle of the Western Conference standings. The Rockets are the fifth seed and know that with only 19 games left, each remaining game takes on even more importance.

Even though the Rockets just defeated the Pelicans in New Orleans on Thursday, and the Pelicans are only 17-46, the Rockets can not take any team lightly. The Rockets' margin of error in the standings is dwindling every day.

To make matters worse, every team directly behind them in the standings and every team they are chasing won their matchups Friday night. Even though the Rockets are only one game behind the Memphis Grizzlies for home-court advantage and do hold the tiebreaker, they are only three games in front of the Golden State Warriors, who have the tiebreaker against them.

That is why there are no such things as throw-away games early in the season, especially in the Western Conference, because the West has been the most competitive conference for years. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head matchups when teams finish tied in the standings.

The two other teams immediately in front of the Rockets besides the Grizzlies are the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets. The Rockets have won their one game against both teams so far, but the tiebreaker scenario is still to be determined, with the Rockets having games left against both teams.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, both teams have started to string together wins. The Lakers are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have won eight straight, and the Nuggets are 7-3 in their previous 10 games. The Rockets, however, are only 5-5, and if that trend continues, tiebreakers won't come into play because the Rockets will not be able to catch either team in the standings.

Saturday is the start of a six-game home-stand for the Rockets as they host the Pelicans on the second of a home and home series. It will be the Rocket's longest home-stand of the season and is the perfect opportunity for them to make up ground in the standings.

The Rockets will, however, still be without Fred VanVleet, who is still nursing the injured ankle that happened in his first game back after an 11-game absence. Reed Sheppard is also out as he is dealing with a right thumb injury.

No matter who is in or out for the Rockets, this home-stand is the most important one they have had in the last four seasons. Home-court advantage is even more critical for a team as young as the Rockets. To climb back up the standings, they have to start stringing together wins, which continues Saturday against the Pelicans.

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