Over their first two games in the bubble, the Houston Rockets have showcased why they can make a deep run in the NBA playoffs.
The first game was a back and forth battle between the Rockets and Mavericks. The Rockets overcame an alarming seven-point deficit with 45 seconds remaining in regulation and forced overtime, where they won by four.
In the game, Harden proved why he is one of the best players in the league by scoring 49 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. Russell Westbrook also played a huge role in Houston’s win by adding 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Last night, the Rockets played their second game against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. The Rockets found themselves down eight points with just over three minutes left in regulation, but they were able to hit a few clutch shots and force a few turnovers to complete the comeback.
Following these two games, they have rocketed themselves from the sixth seed in the Western Conference to the fourth seed. They are only one game behind the third-seeded Denver Nuggets and are set up for obtaining a decent seed in the playoffs.
If they can hold onto the fourth seed, they will be able to avoid a massive mismatch with the second seeded Los Angeles Clippers until the Western Conference Finals.
The Clippers have the two best perimeter defenders in the league, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, which would be a major problem for the Houston offense since they want to shoot almost 45 three-pointers per game.
It is important to note that the Rockets have won two out of their four games against the Clippers. Even though the matchup might be tough for the rockets, they have shown that they can still win against great perimeter defense.
The Rockets are looking like a scary team to go against in the playoffs, especially since they have split their games between all three of the teams ahead of them in the Western Conference.
They have also been playing without Eric Gordon due to an ankle injury that he suffered during the final scrimmage game. Gordon is one of Houston’s best three-point shooters and has hit many clutch shots throughout his career.
Gordon’s level of play has been very turbulent throughout this season, but he has looked better in the second half of the year.
Gordon was able to score 50 points against the Utah Jazz, which is his current career-high. He should be healthy before the playoffs start and might even be back for their final regular season game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Rockets are certainly not a team to be taken lightly and are in the conversation to win the NBA Finals.