The Rockets Are Receiving Gifts From The Rest Of The West

As highly discussed the Houston Rockets' struggles and difficulties this season have been, they still find themselves in the No. 3 seed in a tough and mostly even conference. The Rockets have been fortunate that other contenders have struggled as well.

Feb 23, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz guard John Konchar (55) and Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (2) reach for a loose ball in the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets have justifiably had many of their short falls discussed throughout the season. The late-game turnovers and offensive failures, the lack of a point guard or consistent shooting, and the underwhelming performance of certain players have entered the discussion at points throughout the season.

However, as highly publicized their struggles have been, they still sit at the No. 3 seed behind teams that don't have many recognizable weaknesses. Some of Houston's close peers have had their own struggles and have been gifting the Rockets with some well-timed losses to keep Houston high in the standings.

The Denver Nuggets, the team currently tied with Houston in the standings, have lost six of their last nine games as they've struggled to reintegrate their MVP candidate into the lineup after a significant missed stretch.

Denver's division-mate, the Minnesota Timberwolves, have had their own consistency issues and problems arising from a lack of a point guard. They're not far removed from a five-game losing streak that began with a defeat to the Rockets.

The Los Angeles Lakers are being plagued by their inability to defend or know which of their elite scorers/playmakers should have the ball in their hands in the final moments of games. Of the Western Conference teams in the top 6, the Lakers may have the most issues to solve before the postseason begins.

The Lakers' current No. 6 seed would have them going against the Rockets in a round one matchup; the Lakers would have many disadvantages in that matchup from a personnel standpoint.

However, the Rockets haven't done themselves many favors despite the struggles from other teams, and the Lakers definitely have the talent to win four clutch games against the Rockets if it came down to that point.

The Rockets have won enough games to claim their current spot, but they could be taking advantage of other teams struggling to figure out their consistency if they eliminated their letdown games.

Depending on Kevin Durant for the team's clutch play is a viable option when they don't also force him to become the lead ball handler and main set up guy for the rest of the team. Amen Thompson isn't ready for that role, Alperen Sengun has had some diffuculties this season knowing when to be aggressive, and Reed Sheppard isn't getting opportunities to fill that role in the clutch. As a result, the Rockets are vulnerable in the game's most critical moments.

While the rest of the West is trying to do Houston a favor by keeping it afloat in the standings, the Rockets must pay the favor back in kind by closing out games they've performed well in, and continue a stretch of winning basketball into the postseason.