As the race intensifies for the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference standings (and with it, the final spot in the West’s eventual play-in tournament), the Houston Rockets (23-25) and Utah Jazz (25-26) have similar resumes for the 2023-24 NBA season to date.
Houston is 18-9 at home, while Utah is 16-7. The Jazz are 9-19 on the road, while the Rockets are 5-17 away from Houston.
There’s one big problem for the Rockets with that math. Over the remainder of the season, Houston has 19 road games and only 14 at home. By contrast, the Jazz have 18 home games and 13 on the road.
So, if the Jazz stay strong in Salt Lake City, the only way for the Rockets to close the gap is to finally turn things around on the road. After losing at top-seeded Minnesota on Sunday, the task could become a bit more manageable in Tuesday’s game at Indiana (28-23), which happens to be the second stop of a four-game road trip.
Then again, the injury report isn’t doing the Rockets any favors. Second-year forward Tari Eason (left lower leg injury management) remains out, and starting point guard Fred VanVleet (left adductor strain) is now sidelined, as well. The team has yet to release a projected return timetable for VanVleet beyond Tuesday’s absence.