NBA Power Rankings: Where Are Houston Rockets?
The Houston Rockets have won three consecutive games, and things appear to be clicking for them on all cylinders.
The team finally got the monkey off its back and won a road game, but it wasn't just any road game. The Rockets beat the defending champion Denver Nuggets for the third time this season, giving them a massive confidence boost moving forward.
The win on the road against the Nuggets also gave them a massive jump in CBS Sports' power rankings. The team moved up from No. 22 to 10, the largest in the league for this current edition.
"Hey, the Rockets won a road game -- and in Denver of all places," CBS Sports writes. "That was one of three wins this week, as the defense has been absolutely suffocating, allowing just 98 points per 100 possessions. Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks all averaged 14 or more points this week in a spread offensive attack."
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The Rockets round out the top 10 with the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, who are No. 1 after their In-Season Tournament championship victory.
The Rockets will have a chance to move up in the top 10 this week with a pair of games against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday (home) and Friday (road). Then, the Rockets face a tough back-to-back against top Eastern Conference competition in the Bucks (Sun.) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (Mon.).