Home Stand Provides Opportunity For The Rockets

The Houston Rockets currently fourth in the Western Conference after falling to some of the West's top competition. The games haven't been close as the Rockets suffered big losses to the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets.

However, Houston still has a chance to rise in the standings despite its difficult, recent losses. The Rockets are returning home for a five-game stretch that could provide some redemption in some cases and standings success in others.

The most important games during the home stand are against the team that currently holds the No. 3 seed, the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers have found a new gear led by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The team plays scrappy perimeter defense and has players who can light up the scoreboard on any given night. The Rockets have quality wing defenders on their team to compete against a wing-heavy team like the Lakers, but Houston's defense hasn't had the same level of potency the team is used to.

Houston's offense also may need a revamp, as teams are selling out to deny Kevin Durant from getting the ball in half court sets. He is now being asked to bring the ball up and initiate the offense, leading to a higher number of turnovers from the all-time star.

The Rockets are just a half-game behind the Lakers for the No. 3 seed, and they'll have two straight games at home to try to take back the advantage and crawl back into the third seed.

Surrounding their stretch against the Lakers are games against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat.

The Rockets took a loss to the Heat during a recent matchup that saw their offense achieve a level of futility that has been repeated in several games this season. The Rockets are hoping for some redemption against the Heat as they look to take advantage of opportunities against teams with a worse record than they have.

The Rockets can't overlook any teams as they try to salvage the rest of the season after some difficult losses and some difficult questions to answer as they enter the postseason.

With 17 games left, the Rockets are just about guaranteed a spot in the postseason, even if their postseason play begins in the play in tournament. However, their goal to have a deep postseason run depends on their eventual seeding and their performance against teams in the West, starting with this crucial home stand.