Rockets' Home-Court Advantage Highlighted in NBA.com's Latest Power Rankings

With just two games on their schedule before the NBA trade deadline, the Houston Rockets are in a comfortable spot as the fourth seed in a loaded Western Conference. At 30-17, they've won eight of their last 11 games, and while a rotation shakeup could be in the cards ahead of Feb. 5, they're also performing well given the circumstances.

Sure, Houston went through a rough patch between Dec. 1 and Jan. 15, going 10-11. But the team has dealt with injuries all throughout the season. Players like Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, Dorian Finney-Smith and Tari Eason have all missed significant time at some point, yet the Rockets are managing a top-four seed in the West.

VanVleet has not yet suited up due to a torn ACL, and it isn't expected to, while Adams will miss the rest of the year after receiving ankle-surgery. As a result, bench players such as Clint Capela, Aaron Holiday and Jae'Sean Tate have been called upon more than ususal.

As of now, Houston is riding a two-game winning streak into tonight's matchup against the Indiana Pacers. However, a 111-99 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs didn't have any bright spots, and its performance against some of the league's top teams is why it dropped from third to fourth in NBA.com's latest power rankings.

"With the loss to the Spurs, the Rockets are just 2-6 in games played between the top four teams in the West, having scored just 109.5 points per 100 possessions over the eight games," John Schuhmann wrote. "That includes just 23 on 39 (0.59 per) as they were doubled-up by the Spurs (46-23) over the final 19 minutes on Wednesday.

"After huge game (33 points on 15-for-17 shooting two nights earlier), Alperen Sengun has shot just 16-for-54 (29.6%) over the last three, though he had the go-ahead bucket with less than 30 seconds left against Dallas on Saturday."

Schuhmann also highlighted some of the teams most affected by playing at their home arenas. The Rockets were one of them, and the stats are eye-opening.

Houston has a winning percentage of .810 with a +7.4 net rating at the Toyota Center this season (21 games). On the road, those numbers dip to a .500 winning percentage and a +4.8 net rating (26 games).

When the Rockets are in their own arena, they have a noticeable advantage over opponents. However, things change drastically when they hit the road. It makes sense, considering some of their most disappointing losses have come in opposing arenas. Houston's worst losing streak came with two games against the Portland Trail Blazers and one against the Sacramento Kings, all on the road.