Rockets Can Get Back on Track in Late December

The Houston Rockets have a winnable stretch at the end of the month.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 16, 2024

Oct 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) handles the ball against Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets may be eliminated from the NBA Cup, but they will get right back in the swing of things in their regular season schedule.

Fortunately, the Rockets will get a chance to rest for a few days before returning to action, and it's a crucial stretch for the team.

The Rockets have seven games left between now and the end of the calendar year, and many of them offer winnable opportunities.

Houston will play the Western Conference's worst team in the New Orleans Pelicans twice before 2025 on Thursday at home and the following Thursday on the road.

Sandwiched in between the Pelicans meetings is a visit to the east coast to play the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets in a back-to-back. The Hornets could be a difficult game on the second night of a back-to-back, but they are injured beyond belief and shouldn't field the same roster that beat them in Houston on opening night.

To close the year, the Rockets host the Minnesota Timberwolves (also on the second night of a back-to-back) and the Miami Heat two days later. These are the hardest games in the stretch, but if the Rockets can win those, they will have a ton of momentum going into 2025.

The Rockets and Pelicans are back in action on Thursday at Toyota Center.

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Published Dec 16, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.