Houston Rockets' Improved Shooting Has Fueled Their Eight-Game Winning Streak

The Houston Rockets have seen their shooting improve during the winning streak and it comes at the perfect time with the playoffs looming.

Mar 17, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) reacts with forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) after a play during overtime against the Philadelphia 76ers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets defeated the Orlando Magic 116-108, sweeping the season series and winning their eighth game in a row. The Rockets were in control of the game throughout, forcing the Orlando Magic, the league's worst shooting team, to beat them from the outside.

The Rockets held the Magic to 26 percent shooting from 3-point range on 9-of-35. The Rockets yet again leaned on their defense to come away with the victory. However, that wasn't the only reason for the Rockets victory.

The Rockets have lost a few games this season because of their poor free-throw and 3-point shooting. Although they are still last in the NBA in free-throw shooting and bottom 10 in 3-point shooting, they have started to turn it around, especially during the winning streak.

The Rockets are shooting 78.2 percent from the free throw line in the last five games, which, of course, have all been wins. In Wednesday night's win over the Magic, the Rockets shot 29-of-32 from the charity stripe for 91 percent.

In an eight-point win, shooting over 90 percent on 32 attempts goes a long way toward helping you win the game. In fact, the Rockets' only misses came from Jalen Green, who is shooting over 83 percent from the foul line on the season.

The improved free throw shooting helps from a scoring standpoint but also helps keep defenses from becoming aggressive when contesting a shot. If the opposing team realizes you are not a good free throw shooter, they are likelier to foul you around the basket and force you to beat them from the line.

The Rockets have shot better from 3-point range since the start of 2025 but have been even better during their eight-game winning streak. During the streak, the Rockets are shooting 37.1 percent from deep, which is No. 11 in the league.

Before the eight-game winning streak, the Rockets were shooting only 34.4 percent from 3-point range, ranking 26th in the NBA. Teams made it a point to clog the paint to force the ball to the perimeter. That strategy, at times, caused the Rockets' offense to stall, which led to foul shots.

Since the start of the winning streak, the Rockets are making teams pay for sagging off their perimeter shooters, and the offense has become much more fluent and less dependent on scoring in the paint. The Rockets have been able to lean on their defense all season, but now their offense is beginning to match their defensive effort.

Once you get to the playoffs, every possession and every point matters more because playoff games typically come down to the last few possessions. The Rockets realize that to win a playoff series for the first time in five seasons, they must consistently make their free throws and shoot a good percentage from 3-point range.

The Rockets are back in action on Friday as they travel to Miami to take on the Heat.

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