With shocking loss in Dallas, Rockets officially eliminated from 2024 postseason contention

The Rockets were officially eliminated from 2024 postseason contention after Sunday’s shocking collapse in Dallas. Houston has now lost five straight games.

After Sunday’s logic-defying overtime loss in Dallas, the Rockets (38-40) were officially eliminated from 2024 postseason contention. Houston has lost five straight after its 11-game winning streak.

While Houston can still tie Golden State in the final Western Conference standings, it does not have the tiebreaker. Houston lost all three head-to-head meetings to the Warriors this season. Golden State currently occupies the 10th spot in the Western Conference standings, which represents the final play-in tournament berth.

Led by a resurgent Jalen Green, the Rockets came as close in the standings as a half-game (though without the potential tiebreaker) after a March 25 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. At the time, Houston was nine games into its remarkable 11-game winning streak.

However, Golden State went 6-0 in its next six games. The streak included road victories in Miami (43-34) and Orlando (45-32) on a back-to-back; a home win over Dallas (47-30); and a dominant April 4 victory in Houston. The Rockets went 2-4 over the same period, punctuated by that home loss to Steph Curry and the Warriors.

Those corresponding six-game runs turned a compelling race into one mathematically over with four games left to play in the NBA’s 2023-24 regular season.

The regular season concludes next Sunday, April 14, with the play-in tournament for both conferences starting on April 16.