The Houston Rockets suffered another clutch loss on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Rockets trailed by 11 in the fourth and came back to send the game to overtime. They led by eight with three minutes left, but the Timberwolves scored 15 points until the final whistle to win 110-108.
Kevin Durant blew the chance to tie the game after winning a trip to the foul line. He missed the first and had to intentionally miss the second so that the Rockets could attempt a putback. However, Durant missed that chance, too. The Rockets couldn’t execute their final play with a second left, suffering a second consecutive loss.
It was even more damning as the Timberwolves were playing without their best closer, Anthony Edward, while Rudy Gobert got ejected before overtime and Naz Reid got ejected with the Rockets up 100-95.
Here’s how the Houston Rockets’ latest result impacted their NBA playoffs picture.
Houston Rockets NBA Playoffs Picture: Updated standings
The Rockets dropped to sixth in the Western Conference standings after falling to 43-29. They are 4-6 over their past 10 games. The Rockets remain clear of the play-in tournament by 3.5 games. But if they continue to lose at this rate, there’s no guarantee they won’t slip further.
Houston Rockets NBA Playoffs Picture: Best Case Scenario
The Rockets remain in the hunt for a third-place finish. They are three losses behind the Los Angeles Lakers, sitting at 47-26. While it’s mathematically possible for the Rockets to finish third, it’s unrealistic. At best, the Rockets might finish as high as fourth, as the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves have 28 losses.
As positioned, the Rockets could face the Lakers in the opening round of the playoffs in a No. 3 vs. No. 6 seed matchup.
Houston Rockets NBA Playoffs Picture: Remaining strength of schedule
The Rockets have 10 games left. Fortunately for them, their remaining strength of schedule isn’t as bad. Their opponents in that span have a combined win rate of .455, giving them the third-easiest schedule. Houston can finish on an 8-2 run or a 6-4 run. The Rockets’ toughest opponents are the Knicks, Timberwolves, Suns and 76ers.
