Houston hits .500 on the road, but can they sustain momentum? The playoff seeding implications of their remaining schedule are starkly laid out.
With only three more road games on the schedule, compared to their six home games, there's multiple ways to view that.
With just nine games left on the schedule, the Rockets only have three more road games, compared to their six games at home. There’s multiple ways you could look at that difference.
On one hand, fans (and probably the whole organization) can be thankful that their team doesn’t have to endure many more road games. It’s been brutal this season.
With 19 wins and 19 losses away from home, it’s been a literal coin toss for the Houston Rockets.
More home games means more wins, and potentially climbing back to the fourth seed. The fourth seed means home court advantage in Round 1, greatly improving the odds of advancing to Round 2.
But there still is a more pessimistic way to look at the remaining schedule.
Based on how the last couple of weeks panned out, it’s seeming more likely that the Rockets are fighting for the fifth seed, rather than the fourth seed.
They’d be on the road for Round 1 at that point, regardless of whether they finish above Minnesota or not. So maybe they’d like to get some more practice in games away from home before the playoffs start?
Either way, they’ve played a majority of the season already —— I don’t think they’d suddenly get more consistent on the road if they had a few more opportunities.
Their record will be subpar and a concern heading into the playoffs, even if they win their remaining road games.