Rockets Sneak Into NBA.com's Top Five in Latest Power Rankings

Houston's winning streak is putting the league on notice. The Rockets are back and ready to compete at the highest level.

Nov 3, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) dribbles against the Dallas Mavericks in the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

After a 0-2 start to the season, the Houston Rockets are (thankfully) back on track, having rattled off four straight wins to get to 4-2. Not that anyone was that worried after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons, but a four-game winning streak with the best offensive rating in the NBA has provided relief for Rockets fans everywhere.

The defense has improved with every game, finally creeping into the top 10 after giving up plenty of points to start the season. However, the offense has exceeded everyone's expectations, even knowing what Kevin Durant brings to the table. Houston has been scoring at a highly efficient rate, shooting 42.5% from three and averaging 124.8 points per game.

The Rockets' improvement across the first two weeks of the season was reflected in NBA.com's latest power rankings from John Schuhmann. The power rankings were published before Houston defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 110-102, on Monday to extend the winning streak.

After falling to No. 11 last week, the Rockets have soared all the way up to fourth in the NBA, behind the Thunder, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. Schuhmann notes that while Houston's offense has been in a league of its own, it will be hard to repeat for the rest of the season. He also notes one key that has led to the improvement in scoring.

"Some of this offense is obviously unsustainable, with the Rockets currently shooting an NBA-record 45.4% from 3-point range," Schuhmann wrote. "Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun and Josh Okogie are a combined 30-for-55 (54.5%) from beyond the arc, having shot a combined 30.4% over their careers before this season.

"Okogie replaced Steven Adams in the starting lineup last week, when the new group outscored opponents by 22 points in 39 minutes, taking only 19 (30%) of its 63 shots from beyond the arc. Sengun has still played more than half of his minutes alongside Adams or Clint Capela, with the Rockets outscoring opponents by 29 points per 100 possessions in those double-big minutes."

After testing out one of the tallest starting lineups in league history, Ime Udoka went back to a traditional lineup, inserting Okogie to balance out the height and defense of the group. It has paid off, because although the 6-foot-4 wing is averaging just 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, he's doing so on 51.9% shooting from the field and 50% from three.

When Okogie is on the floor, the Rockets have a 128.2 offensive rating and 13.8 net rating. Those numbers drop when he's not out there. While he isn't the best player on the floor by any stretch, he complements Durant, Sengun, Thompson and the rest of the rotation with high-intensity defense and a limited offensive role.