There's Plenty At Stake For Rockets On Regular Season's Final Day

After spending much of the decade to this point as one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Houston Rockets have secured their second-straight trip to the playoffs. They were powered mostly by the draft picks they've acquired throughout their tanking years, and they used one of their feature picks to swing a trade for the all-time scorer in Kevin Durant.

The Rockets have created a formula to win, and they're hoping they can translate that formula to the postseason against elite competition. The first round will likely be difficult for the Rockets, but who they'll face has yet to be determined.

Houston will face either the Denver Nuggets, or the Los Angeles Lakers. There are pros and cons to taking on either team, but the ideal matchup would see the Rockets taking on the Lakers.

Clearly, injuries to some of the Lakers' top players takes away from Los Angeles' maximum capacity as a team. Austin Reaves is done for the season, and Luka Doncic may come back too soon on an injury that normally takes a while to completely heal from.

The Rockets would face Los Angeles if the Nuggets win against the San Antonio Spurs, or if the Lakers lose to the Utah Jazz. Los Angeles holds the tie-breaker against Denver in case they finish the season locked together. Even without injuries, the Rockets match up better with the Lakers than they do with the Nuggets.

Houston prides itself on its wing defense and ability to dominate on the glass. Players like Amen Thompson and Tari Eason are especially equipped to guard elite wings and put pressure on the rim against suspect paint defense and rebounding.

Talents like Doncic are generally unguardable, regardless of who is assigned to them. However, the Rockets had the personnel to at least be able to match well with the Lakers even if they were fully healthy.

The Nuggets provide a unique challenge, once again finishing as one of the league's best teams. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are still elite shotmakers, along with Jokic being the league's best passer.

They also have as much depth as they did when they won a championship with this group in 2023. Three years later, some of their young players have developed into true contributors on a winning team.

The Rockets struggle most with off-ball offense, and the Nuggets are one of the elite teams in that category. There's no one player who can guard Jokic, and beating them is even tougher if Murray is hitting his tough shots at a high rate.

The Rockets may be able to compete against either team, but winning a series might be a difficult task whoever they face. At least they'll be able to start preparing for the playoffs either way, depending on how the games go to end the season.