The Stretch of Schedule Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets Must Survive

To keep pace with Oklahoma City and San Antonio, the Rockets can't have a bad stretch

Kevin Durant wearing new Houston Rockets uniforms | Houston Rockets (X)

It should be a quick start and a challenging finish for the Houston Rockets this season, as Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun try to stay near the top of a Western Conference that figures to be led by Victor Wembanyama's Spurs and the loaded squad in Oklahoma City.

The Rockets will tip off the season playing 15 of their first 25 games at home in H-town, but the month of March will prove to be an uphill battle.

Houston will face its own version of “March Madness” this spring, which will serve as the ultimate test—especially if the playoff race is close. The Rockets are scheduled to play nine of their 16 games on the road, including four back-to-back sets.

This “March Madness” will rear its head right from the start for Houston. They open the month with a home game against the Golden State Warriors. This matchup falls on the second night of a back-to-back that starts in late February, following a game against the new-look Miami Heat on February 28th. The Rockets will face the Warriors twice in the first seven days of the month, with both meetings being part of back-to-back games for Houston.

Talk about a gift from the NBA scheduling gods.

They round it out at home against the Pelicans and Spurs before their first road trip of the month. Houston heads to the Bay Area for that second meeting with the Warriors in a week. The following night, they travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers, followed by a stop in Utah before returning to the Toyota Center.

Coming back to Houston won't exactly be a slam dunk. Their second back-to-back of the month is at home against the Spurs and Nets. Then they're back on the road to play four games in seven days. This road trip takes them to New Orleans, Cleveland, New York (to play the Knicks) and then Detroit. The Knicks and Pistons games make up the third of their four back-to-backs. The Rockets will then host Luka Dončić and the Lakers for a Sunday showdown before closing out the month on the road. Their final two games are also the team's last back-to-back series in Portland.

May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during the first quarter game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The month that will decide it all

In other words, March will either be the thorn in the Rockets' side or the catalyst that propels them in their postseason push. Of their 16 games throughout the month, 11 are against teams who made the playoffs last season, including the reigning champion New York Knicks.

In an up-for-grabs Western Conference (aside from the Thunder and Spurs likely holding their top two slots), how the Rockets fare on the road this much towards the end of a long NBA season, coupled with the back-to-backs, will be decisive. If they can manage it all, they should lock in their playoff spot. If the month of March takes its toll, they may find themselves clawing their way for a spot in the play-in tournament and land themselves the 9th or 10th seed.