The Rockets Are Right Back In The Race For A Top Seed

After a few letdown games, the Rockets had fallen a bit in the Western Conference standings. Recent developments in the conference have opened the door for Houston to climb the standings if it can continue to win games at a high rate.

Dec 27, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka talks with guard Amen Thompson (1) and forward Kevin Durant (7) during the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Whatever ground the Houston Rockets lost during a difficult stretch of the season so far, they've started to gain back after a stretch of quality play and the return of some injured players. The Rockets are climbing in the conference standings, and developments throughout the Western Conference have opened the door to the Rockets jumping even further in the standings.

The return of Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith has been a big boost to the team on both sides of the ball. Both players hit shots at a high rate and play quality perimeter defense. They are strong additions to Houston's wing depth, featuring Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr., who both have settled into some better play in recent games.

Their wing depth adds to Kevin Durant's more aggressive scoring efforts to create some winning opportunities for the Rockets. Houston is starting to pick up their level of play during their last stretch of games.

This is happening as other Western Conference teams seem to be on the downturn slightly.

Belief in the current iteration of the Los Angeles Lakers has waned as they've lost some games against tough opponents, including the Rockets. The Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves have had some difficulties winning games against top teams and dropping some games against inferior opponents. Both could play a factor at the trade deadline or in this year's offseason to improve their rosters to compete at the highest level.

The Denver Nuggets took a huge blow with the injury to Nikola Jokic, who has been arguably the MVP to this point in the season. The Nuggets will likely drop a few games due to their reliance on Jokic as an offensive engine, but he'll come back right in time to start a run for the Nuggets leading into the All-Star Break.

The Rockets have a chance to leapfrog some of these teams and build a lead as they struggle to solve some of their early issues.

Taking advantage of the opportunity now is crucial, as these teams are all capable of turning things around at any point. The Western Conference is loaded with talent, and the Rockets can't afford to have similar struggles if they hope to have home-court advantage at any point during the postseason.

The Rockets have been taking advantage recently by continuing to win at a high rate, but they must continue their success while the rest of the conference is in flux.