Rockets to Face Major Western Conference Challenge Amid Playoff Race

One of the more important games for Houston is set to take place tonight.

Jan 15, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) attempts a shot under pressure from Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) as center DeAndre Jordan (6) and guard Fred VanVleet (5) defend in the third quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

As the NBA regular season winds down, all eyes turn to the playoff race within the Western Conference. While the Oklahoma City Thunder clearly hold the No. 1 seed by a wide margin, the race for the No. 2 seed is heating up. The Houston Rockets are at the forefront of that race.

The Rockets are 46-25 and currently hold that coveted second seed. They are two games ahead of the Denver Nuggets, but the race could swing in either team's favor as they are set to face off tonight at 6 p.m. ET. Houston will have home-court advantage at the Toyota Center.

The Rockets beat the Nuggets in their first and only matchup of the season thus far, winning in Denver 128-108. The hope is that they can recreate that offensive dominance tonight, as the rotation looks to be fully healthy for the contest.

Houston will have a major advantage with MVP candidate Nikola Jokic out with an ankle injury. The three-time MVP's absence opens up opportunities for the Rockets on defense, giving an easier matchup for All-Star center Alperen Sengun.

Without Jokic, the Nuggets have a net rating of -7.5 compared to the 10.2 rating they have when he's on the floor. While Denver's defense slightly improves when he's off the court (-2.7 to 1.6), its offense plummets from a 12.9 rating to a -9.0 rating. The Rockets should look to take advantage of that, as they'll have an easier time taking away shots from the Nuggets' wings.

In terms of implications, a win for Houston would widen the gap for the No. 2 seed, as the team would have 10 games left in the regular season after Sunday. Along with the Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies are realistically within reach of that spot.

The win would also mean the Rockets clinch the tiebreaker over Denver, as the two will play each other again in the final game of the regular season on April 13. Houston will also play the Lakers twice in between those matchups, which heats up the Western Conference playoff race even more.

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