Houston Rockets: The Path To The Playoffs
By James D'Elia
Western Conference Standings
So with that the final standings with seedings will be:
5. Portland (44-38)
6. Utah Jazz (42-40)
7. Houston Rockets (42-40)
8. Memphis Grizzlies (42-40)
9. Dallas Mavericks (40-42)
The Rockets end up making the playoffs!
This is just what I believe will happen based on current teams form, likely hood of resting players and whether their tanking or not etc. so it’s not going to be perfect.
Here are the basics for the Rockets to make the playoffs:
- If the Rockets beat Dallas, the Rockets only need to tie their record with one extra win, so that way the Rockets win a total of three games and Dallas wins one.
- The Jazz hold the tie-breaker over Houston so the Rockets need a better record than Utah to sit above them.
- Houston’s tiebreaker with Memphis is tied so if they finish level it settles with the division record. Houston is 8-7 and Memphis is 7-8 in division play with one game each left for each team, both against Dallas. If both are tied at 8-8, then it goes to what each team’s conference record to which the Rockets should hold if all things go right.
- Houston is 2-1 against Dallas with one game left to play, otherwise it goes to division record to which the Rockets should hold over them.
Realistically, the Rockets will need a lot of luck to finish any higher than 7th or 8th. The Rockets need to — in the words of the illustrious Bill Worrell — pitch a shutout.
This if — and only if — they want hope at that 6th seed and a first-round match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It’s going to be an exciting stretch run home so lets hope the Rockets can make that final push before the playoffs and enter with momentum on their side.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the intricate journey I took you on through the tight West playoff race
Go Rockets!