Rockets' Inability to Avoid Playing Down to Competition is Concerning

As good as the Houston Rockets have been this season, they're just as vulnerable to a disappointing stretch and an early exit in the playoffs. That was established earlier in the year, but with 16 games left, they haven't seemed to shake the major issue that is playing down to competition.

The Rockets are 41-25, good for the third seed in the Western Conference. That's extremely impressive, but they've also had quite a few scares and rough patches leading up to this point. They most recently survived the 22-46 New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, winning 107-105 due to a Kevin Durant game-winner.

Houston has constantly relied on Durant to carry the scoring load, especially in clutch time. However, the team is just 18-18 when the game is within five points in the final five minutes.

These matches could really go either way, and it's on supplementary stars like Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson to show up, along with the rest of the rotation. Pure shot creation from the 37-year-old sniper can only get this group so far.

The two-point win against the Pelicans was actually the Rockets' third win of their 11 three-point games. They're 3-8 in such contests. Had the game gone to overtime, the odds would not have looked good. Houston is 1-6 when it does, and New Orleans actually won the fourth quarter 33-27.

Against teams under .500, the Rockets are 21-9. On the surface, that doesn't seem too bad, but it's the worst mark among the top six teams in the West. Since the All-Star break, they're 8-5 with a 2-5 record against teams above .500. It's been more of a mix between playing down to competition despite the result, and being a clear tier under the best teams in the league.

In games against the league's bottom seven teams right now (according to the standings), Houston is just 14-6. Against the bottom three? Six wins and two losses.

Thankfully, the average margin of victory in those 14 games is 16 points, but six losses against teams in the basement plus a 20-16 vs. teams at or above .500 should be, at the very least, a little concerning.

Injuries have been a factor all season long, so credit has to be given to this team for staying afloat in such a tight conference. Anything can happen over these next four weeks, which means Houston can not only lose home-court advantage but cement itself as an elite unit as well.