With nine consecutive wins and a 11-1 record in March, the Houston Rockets have been the NBA’s best team this month.
That has created a rapid rise up the Western Conference standings. After Golden State’s loss at Minnesota on Sunday night and Houston’s home win on Monday versus Portland, the Warriors (36-34) are one-half game ahead of the Rockets (36-35) for the 10th spot in the West, which represents the final berth in the play-in tournament.
The bad news for the Rockets is Golden State owns the first tiebreaker, so they need two fewer losses than the Warriors over the final dozen games. The good news is Golden State visits Houston on April 4, a direct opportunity to gain ground.
The Rockets could tie for the No. 10 spot as soon as Tuesday — when Miami (39-32) hosts the Warriors.
In contrast to the Rockets, who have won 11 of 12 games this month, the Warriors have dropped six of nine.
Houston would own a potential play-in tiebreaker against the Lakers (39-32), but Los Angeles still has three games of separation in the loss column, relative to the Rockets. Furthermore, there are no head-to-head meetings left between those teams.
[lawrence-related id=122272,122290]
Fred VanVleet dagger.#Rockets (36-35) are above .500 for the first time since January 12, and their nine-game winning streak is the franchise's longest in over 5 years.
They have the NBA's best March record, 11-1, and are a HALF-game behind Golden State for a play-in spot.
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) March 26, 2024