Houston Rockets 2025 NBA Playoffs Picture: Dissecting potential first-round matchups, key stats and more

The Houston Rockets have been the Western Conference upset of the year, rising to second seed with head coach Ime Udoka, a three-time Coach of the Year finalist, at the helm, accompanied by J.B. Bickerstaff and Kenny Atkinson. They are one of the youngest playoff teams and are perhaps one of the more under-the-radar postseason teams.

The Houston Rockets have improved significantly from last year to this year, increasing their win tally by a whopping 11 games with still two games remaining in their regular season. Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green have emerged as the team's best scorers, while Dillon Brooks and Fred Vanvleet contribute a veteran voice, providing an on-court presence for Udoka.

Sengun earned his first All-Star selection this season, and the 6-11 center has emerged as one of the league's more scoring-gifted centers. Injuries have had the Turkish big man and the Rockets enduring bumps and bruises through the rotation.

The Houston Rockets have a tough five-game schedule to end their season, but thus far have weathered it remarkably well, thumping the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors in back-to-back games before losing to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Rockets finish their season on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers and at home versus the Denver Nuggets.

Defining Statistic: Crashing the glass

As they have enjoyed a season in which they have been near the top of the Western Conference for months, the Houston Rockets have hung their hat on the glass this season. The Rockets are the best rebounding team in the NBA on both ends of the floor, an effort anchored by Sengun.

According to ESPN, the Rockets lead the league in total rebounding(48.7 per game) and offensive rebounding(14.7 per game). The Rockets dominate the glass and prevent their opponents from taking advantage of their relative lack of size, allowing the third-fewest defensive rebounds in the league over the course of the season.

As the games get more intense, pace of play tends to slow down, especially in the postseason. While Alperen Sengun has had dominant stretches as the team’s primary playmaker, the Houston Rockets’ offense has struggled in the half-court. One of the only ways around that shortcoming is rebounding, and the Rockets appear to have bought into that as their winning strategy.

Playoff X-Factor: Amen Thompson

In the playoffs, the Houston Rockets will rely on the trio of Sengun, Green and Vanvleet to prop up the team’s scoring, but the duo of Thompson and Tari Eason will be expected to take on the primary defensive assignment in all of their series.

Even though he is only in his second professional season, Amen Thompson has established himself as one of the more feared defenders the NBA has to offer. He might have learned the intricacies of how to defend NBA veterans from Dillon Brooks, but Thompson has used his athleticism and pure intensity to shut down opposing stars.

Ime Udoka is spoiled when it comes to defenders that he has to throw at the Western Conference stars that the Houston Rockets will face off with in the playoffs, but Thompson’s impact allows the team to reach the peak of their defensive ability. Thompson has improved on the offensive side of the floor as well, but his lack of shooting efficiency could be exploited in a playoff series.

Potential first round matchups for the Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets will be the second Western Conference seed and will have home court advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs. But they won't know who they draw in the first round until the end of the year because the 4th-8th seeds out West are all bunched up by a half-game and a game.

If the standings remain the same, the Rockets would face the winner of the 7-8 play-in game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets would be favored in either one of those series, but the biggest knock against them is their lack of playoff experience outside of Fred Vanvleet and Brooks.

In a series against the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets would be in trouble as they take on a team that matches up great against them player-for-player. Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler have done well defending Sengun and Green throughout their careers, and Steph Curry has performed extremely well in previous series against Houston.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, on the other hand, present a much different challenge. A series between the two young teams would likely come down to which perimeter star performs better. Anthony Edwards has proven that he can rise to the occasion in the playoffs, though, while Jalen Green would be getting his first taste of the postseason against him and Jaden McDaniels.