Rockets' Playoff Hopes Hinge on Health, Schedule

0:00For the NBA, it's March 5th. Here's what's happening. The Houston Rockets are cruising through the 2025-26 NBA season, with a strong 38 wins and 22 losses after. 60 games. That puts them at third in the Western Conference with just 22 games left. They're winning about 63% of their games, and need to hang on tight to that spot. With six weeks to go, the Rockets face the 12th easiest remaining schedule. But they have tough matchups ahead, including the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves twice. Once this month, and again next, month. Experts say they have big games nearly every week. Injuries are hitting hard right now. Tari Eson is banged up. Tubari Smith Jr. has been sidelined, and Amen Thompson just went down. Health and depth will decide playoff success for Houston and every team this late in the year. If the playoff started today, the Rockets would face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. They dominated LA-129-96 on Christmas Day, which led to a team meeting for the Lakers.

1:04Houston is tied with Minnesota, and could slip to fourth. Dropping to fourth means a tougher first round battle against Denver, where Nikola Jokage poses a huge problem. Even if they beat the Nuggets, they'd likely face the top-seated Oklahoma City Thunder next. Holding third seed gives them the best shot at a deep run. We'd like to thank our sponsor for making this episode possible. If sleep podcasts are your thing, this is your pillow. Built for comfort and calm. S-O-L-L-I-SallyPillow.com