Inside The Rockets

What's Next For Rockets After NBA Cup Elimination?

The Houston Rockets were eliminated in the NBA Cup by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jeremy Brener|
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) defends against Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) defends against Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

In this story:

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are heading home after a 111-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The loss officially eliminated the Rockets from NBA Cup title contention, setting the stage for the Thunder to meet the Milwaukee Bucks for Tuesday's championship.

After failing to make the knockout stage a year ago, the Rockets made it a few steps forward this time, beating the Golden State Warriors at home in an elimination game and losing to the Thunder as well. The experience the Rockets are gaining by both winning and losing at crucial times is priceless for the team as they learn how to play with one another in high-pressure situations.

The NBA Cup run the Rockets had is a soft launch back into relevancy within the Western Conference. While the Rockets are only a few games back from the middle of the pack in the standings, they showed why they have been successful at the beginning of the season. In a way, they have now confirmed their identity as a hard-nosed, defensive-minded team.

What this run also revealed is the fact that the Rockets need someone to step up to be an efficient scorer. There's hope that Jalen Green could become that player, but the Rockets need a bona fide scorer that they simply don't have right now.

Either someone needs to emerge into that role for the final 50 or so games of the regular season or a trade needs to be made soon to acquire one.

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

Home/News