Houston Rockets Aiming to Maintain Home Cooking During California Road Trip

The Rockets will begin a three-game California road trip riding a six-game winning streak, which will begin Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

HOUSTON — The last time the Houston Rockets played a road game came on Oct. 27. They lost a heartbreaker to the San Antonio Spurs, which marked the end of a two-game road trip to begin the 2023-24 season.

A 0-2 start created a somber mood inside the visiting locker room of the Frost Bank Center. Jalen Green, who scored 22 points in 38 minutes, was disappointed but not discouraged. He found satisfaction in knowing that the Rockets were about to embark on a seven-game homestand.

Three weeks later, they have found their strive. But most importantly, the Rockets will begin a three-game California road trip riding a six-game winning streak, which will begin Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"I think we've taken advantage of it," Jae'Sean Tate said. "We know it's not going to be like this later in the season. I'm sure that it always comes back around, there's going to be some long away stretches. But it's always important to take care of home, and I think we did a good job of that."

Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) shoots the ball during the third quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center. Mandatory / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Rockets began the first two games ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every statistical category. At times, Houston resembled the team that finished with a 22-60 record during the 2022-23 season. 

However, due to the 19 consecutive days spent practicing and hosting film studies inside the Toyota Center, coach Ime Udoka had a chance to reiterate the intangibles he emphasized during their four-day training camp in Lake Charles. 

The outcome has led to the Rockets beginning their road trip as one of the best all-around teams in the league.

They have scored an average of 113.0 points while posting an offensive rating of 116.8. The Rockets have also possessed the league's best defense by recording a defensive rating of 105.3. During their two-game mini-series against the Sacramento Kings, Houston held its conference foe to an average of 93.0 points.

A 34-point victory against the Los Angeles Lakers marked the third consecutive game the Rockets did not allow their opponents to score over 100. The Lakers, led by LeBron James, only scored 94 points. 

"I think this was good timing for us, especially with how we started," Fred VanVleet said. "But I don't know how many times I've been home for three weeks during a season.

"It was in our favor to be home for this long to find our groove and feel good about ourselves. Now, we have to go out on the road and play three tough teams."

#Rockets practice. pic.twitter.com/0PiNKm4llE

— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) November 16, 2023

Udoka wants the Rockets to adopt his "road warrior mentality." He displayed his passion to play on the road during his lone season as coach of the Boston Celtics. Under Udoka, the Celtics finished the 2021-22 season with the seventh-most road wins with 23. 

But to accomplish this feat in Houston, Udoka must find a way to improve his team's play away from the Toyota Center.

The Rockets finished last season tied with the Spurs and the Detroit Pistons for the fewest road wins with eight victories. Maintaining their dominance away from home is the next objective for the Rockets en route to re-establishing themselves as a winnable franchise.

"We have talked about it since training camp — it's time to be good on the road," Udoka said. "What I’m trying to build with our guys is to go on the road and have the same success, the same mindset as if you were at home."