Rockets Drop in Latest NBA Power Rankings Despite Christmas Day Win

Houston's Christmas Day victory didn't take away from its rough Western Conference road trip.

Dec 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) passes the ball against the defense of Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets have had a rough month of December hoops, but Christmas Day gifted them a much-needed win to close out a Western Conference road trip. In Los Angeles against Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the Lakers, Houston stepped up to the plate and dominated in a 119-96 victory.

The Rockets, whose defense and effort were a major part of their December losses, out-rebounded LA 48-25, limiting the Lakers to 77 shots and scoring 23 points off of 16 turnovers.

Houston is now 5-6 this month, but the losses against the LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings and New Orleans still sting as the team heads home for two games. For context, those teams own the bottom three seeds in the Western Conference.

The losses are clearly reflected in Bleacher Report's latest NBA power rankings from Andy Bailey, as the Rockets dropped another spot to sixth in the league. At 18-10, they own the sixth seed in the West, barely avoiding the Play-In Tournament if the season ended today.

"Relative to much of the rest of the league, it doesn't mean much. This is still one of this season's best teams," Bailey wrote. "But the Rockets are measuring themselves against the likes of the Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder now.

"And Houston having the seventh-worst clutch net rating is at least worth noting. There's plenty of time to sort out the offensive hierarchy before the end of the season, but in those tight, end-of-game situations, Kevin Durant almost certainly deserves more of the shot diet."

Durant's lack of involvement in Houston's late-game offense has been a topic of discussion, with the losses having piled up this month. Bailey noted that the 37-year-old's usage rate in clutch situations (the final five minutes of games within five points) is at 18.4, while Alperen Sengun is 30.7.

The 6-foot-11 sniper is averaging just 16.8 field goal attempts per game thus far, the lowest since his first season with the Golden State Warriors (16.5 per game in 2016-17). Even on Christmas, he put up 25 points, but took just 14 shots.

Houston acquired him to help add a new dimension to the offense, and while that has been holding true this season, it still feels like the Rockets can perform better if he is more involved. Durant frequently initiates the offense from just across half-court, often getting double-teamed and taken out of plays. This is definitely something to monitor as the season moves along.