We’ve nearly reached the halfway mark of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, and the Houston Rockets have quietly positioned themselves as a genuine contender in the Western Conference.
They have a 27-12 record through 39 games, boosted by a 6-1 record in January and a current five-game winning streak. That record has them atop the Southwest Division and sitting in second place in a loaded Western Conference.
Recommended Videos
MORE ROCKETS: Rockets’ rookie Reed Sheppard scores 49 points in G League debut
The most valuable player in this run has been shooting guard Jalen Green. The second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft has had a January to remember, averaging 30.6 points on a hyper-efficient 52.4% from the field across the seven games.
Green hasn’t been doing it alone, though. His most prolific running mate has been second-year forward Amen Thompson, who was recently added to the starting lineup. In his 10 starts so far this season, the Rockets have a 9-1 record (with the one defeat being a 1-point loss to the Timberwolves in December), and he has been an anchor on both ends of the floor, averaging double-digits in both points and rebounds in January.
The Rockets’ recent good fortunes were all a part of the plan for head coach Ime Udoka. In his second season at the helm, he has transformed a league-wide bottom feeder into a strong and cohesive unit.
After winning just 22 games two seasons ago, the team overperformed expectations in Udoka’s first year, finishing with a 41-41 record and just missing out on a spot in the Play-In Tournament. In Year No. 2, the rebuild has continued to perform ahead of schedule.
The Rockets’ winning streak will be tested again Thursday night when the team travels to Sacramento to take on the Kings in a nationally televised game. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m.
