Houston Rockets Facing Pivotal Decision Regarding Upcoming Back-to-Back Games

The playoff race is heating up. Every game is becoming all the more important, from a seeding standpoint.

The Houston Rockets are currently in possession of the third seed in the Western Conference, but it's a tight race. There's not much wiggle room. The Rockets are in a dead tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves. And the Denver Nuggets are just one game back from the Rockets.

The Los Angeles Lakers are only two games back from Houston's third seed, although Los Angeles is in possession of the sixth seed.

Again, it's that tight of a race. Which makes Houston's upcoming scheduling slate even more paramount. Houston has a sequence of back-to-back games this weekend, with the Golden State Warriors up next on Thursday and the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

Rockets reporter Ben DuBose, Houston’s beat writer of Rockets Wire explained Houston's conundrum in detail.

"These next two games... It’s interesting, because I have been told, coming out of the All-Star break, the Rockets internally felt like that in these first 9 games, they needed to be at least 6-3. Well, they’re now 5-2. So if they win the two against the Warriors and Blazers, they’ll be 7-2, so they’re over the bar that they needed to be at.

If they go 1-1, they at least meet the bar. How hard do they go for these two games at home, on a back-to-back, with guys managing these injuries, knowing how difficult the schedule is going to be next week?

This is going to be a tricky couple of games."

The Rockets have certainly faced an unfortunate string of injuries. That's been the case all season.

Steven Adams isn't coming back this season and Fred VanVleet has been out all season. Dorian Finney-Smith didn't suit up until Christmas and may as well still be injured.

Tari Eason was hobbling around during Houston's recent comeback victory over the Orlando Magic, while Amen Thompson limped off the court in Houston's last victory over the Washington Wizards.

Jabari Smith Jr. just missed Houston's last two games against the Wizards and Miami Heat. The list of injuries is getting rather lengthy.

The Rockets will need to get to full strength. But they'll also need to maintain their seeding, in order to increase their chances of making a deep postseason run. Ime Udoka will have a tough decision on his hands.