HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 08: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets drives against the Utah Jazz during the first half of a preseason game at Toyota Center on October 08, 2025 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
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The Rockets went 3-1 on the week, moving back up to third in the Western Conference. They pummeled the Utah Jazz, 125-105, behind 31 points from Jabari Smith Jr., and avenged earlier losses to the Sacramento Kings, beating them 128-97, behind 28 points from Reed Sheppard. They then traveled to Orlando, beating the Magic in dramatic fashion, coming from behind in the second half, 113-108, with Kevin Durant leading the way with 40 points. On Saturday afternoon, they closed out the week falling to the Miami Heat, 115-105. Durant scored 32 points in the losing effort.
The Rockets will have three games this upcoming week. On Monday, they’ll visit the lowly Washington Wizards before getting two days off. They’ll travel back home and host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday and the Portland Blazers on Friday.
The Rockets have been battling injuries since the All-Star break with forward Amen Thompson missing time; today, Jabari Smith Jr. was out of the lineup. Reed Sheppard has gotten the nod as the fifth starter.
At the close of the week, the Rockets are 37-22, having gone 6-4 in their last ten games. They are a half game up on the Denver Nuggets but six games back of the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs. If the playoffs started today, Houston would host the Los Angeles Lakers, a matchup they would no doubt welcome. The Spurs, winners of eleven straight games, are closing in on the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are 46-15; the Spurs are 43-16.
Overall, on the season, the Rockets are sixth in net rating at +5.3. They have fallen to eighth in offensive rating at 117.0 (after starting the season with the best offensive rating in NBA history). They are fifth in defensive rating at 111.7.
Since January 1, the Rockets are just eleventh in net rating at +1.9. They are 21st in offensive rating at 112.3, and seventh in defensive rating at 110.4. The offense has fallen off a cliff after the Rockets lost their rebounding advantage due to the loss of backup center Steven Adams for the season.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rahathuq/2026/02/28/rockets-back-in-third-in-west/
