Houston Rockets Still in Driver's Seat for In-Season Tournament

The Houston Rockets control their fate in the In-Season Tournament.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 23, 2023

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are still in control of their own destiny when it comes to the In-Season Tournament. However, Friday's game against the Denver Nuggets at home could result in elimination with a loss.

West Group B is the only group out of the six where every team has a loss. Currently, the New Orleans Pelicans, by virtue of their win against the Nuggets last week, have the tiebreaker and are in first place. However, the Rockets' win against the Pelicans would give them the edge in any two-team tiebreaker, which is where Houston will be if it beats Denver on Friday.

The Rockets beat the Nuggets at home earlier this year, and they will have to do it again if they want to remain alive for the first-ever In-Season Tournament title.

Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. scores against Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) in the second quarter at Toyota Center. — Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. scores against Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) in the second quarter at Toyota Center / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

If the Rockets can beat the Nuggets tomorrow and the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, their 3-1 record would be enough for them to win Group B. That being said, a loss would ensure that the Rockets cannot win Group B, because the Nuggets would hold a 3-1 record, which would be impossible for Houston to achieve.

The wild card spot is also likely out of consideration for the Rockets. A 3-1 record would give the Rockets the group win, and there are currently two undefeated teams in Group C (Sacramento Kings & Minnesota Timberwolves), as well as a 2-1 Phoenix Suns team with one game left against the Memphis Grizzlies, where their point differential will be tough to overcome.

The Rockets and Nuggets are set to tip off on Friday at 7 p.m. CDT inside Toyota Center.

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Published Nov 23, 2023

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.