Houston Rockets have become one of NBA's best road teams

The Houston Rockets have become one of the best road teams in the NBA this season. They are currently tied for the most road wins this season.
Jan 22, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka (center) on the bench against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Jan 22, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka (center) on the bench against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Every NBA team needs to excel in this one area if they want to become a contending team, and that is the ability to win on the road. The Houston Rockets know this all too well, as they have not had a winning road record since the 2019-2020 season.


That also coincides with the last time the Rockets had a winning overall record. That season, the Rockets were 20-16 on the road. Houston is now on pace to shatter that number. Currently the Rockets are 17-7 on the road as they enter Thursday night matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Those 17 wins are currently tied for the most wins on the road in the NBA. The Rockets have won 11 of their last 12 road games and are on a five-game road winning streak. The team's road record shows just how dominant the team has been all season long and how tough Ime Udoka's team has been this season.

The Rockets are on pace to win 28 road games, the second-most in the franchise's history. Houston won 26 road games in the 2014-2015 season, and of course, their best mark was in the 2017-18 season that featured Chris Paul and James Harden. That season, they won 31 road games on their way to a franchise-best 65 wins.

The main reason for their success on the road has been their elite defense. Defense is the one area that travels and keeps you in every game. Every team struggles at some point on the offensive end, but defense should never take a night off, and the Rocket's rarely has.

The Rocket's success on the road bodes well for a potential playoff series. No matter how good you are at home, you will likely have to win on the road at some point. What also stands out is that even in the game, the Rockets lose on the road and are rarely blown out.

They have only lost by double digits on the road twice this season, and both of those losses came at the hands of the team with the best record in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder. In every other road loss, the Rockets had a chance to win going down the stretch.

If the Rockets can continue to be road warriors to finish the season, it will go a long way in them not just being a feel-good story this season but a real contender for an NBA title. The Rockets travel to Memphis Thursday night as they try to complete the regular season sweep of the Grizzlies.


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Lachard Binkley
LACHARD BINKLEY

Lachard is a lifelong Houstonian who has followed the Rockets since the 80s. He is a credential reporter covering the Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers.