Rockets Got Hot at Right Time

The Houston Rockets are playing their best basketball in the second half of the season, and that's a big reason why the team was able to claim the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoff picture.

The Rockets were hovering around the No. 5 seed for a bit with Fred VanVleet out for most of February, but they were able to climb back up in the standings to get to No. 2.

ESPN insider Michael C. Wright looks back on Houston's regular season and how the team was able to get to No. 2 in the standings.

"Houston coach Ime Udoka turned heads before this season when he stated the postseason was the goal for a team coming off a 41-win campaign," Wright writes.

"When Houston reached 50 wins on April 2, Udoka called the mark "a good barometer of where you should be on a yearly basis at minimum." The Rockets finished with 52 wins and accomplished that as a team built in Udoka's image: gritty and tough with an emphasis on hustle, physicality and lockdown defense. Star guard Jalen Green credited Udoka with "bringing the dog out of us." After a three-game skid to start March, the Rockets won nine in a row and 15 of the next 17 while leaning heavily into their identity in preparation for the postseason. Houston ranked near the middle of the pack offensively most of the season, finishing 12th in offensive rating. Defensively, the Rockets have ranked consistently in the top five."

The Rockets will play the winner of the Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors Play-In Tournament matchup, which tips off tonight at 9 p.m. CT.