Houston Rockets has won 12 of its last 13 matches and cannot even claim that they are the hottest team in the NBA.
It is not Rocket’s fault that Oklahoma City Thunder has lost only one of its last 17 games, but Houston will look to continue his dry game when visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
Rockets (49-26) put a big whipping on the host Phoenix Sun’s Sunday evening with a victory 148-109. Second place Houston now stands two matches ahead of third place Denver Nuggets and 3 1/2 matches in front of fourth place Lakers in the Western Conference Playoff competition.
Houston lost 55 or more matches in three seasons in a row earlier this decade before finishing .500 last season in IME Udoka’s first season as coach.
Now Rockets closes on a 50-victory’s campaign.
“I saw the improvements we did this past year,” Udoka said. “… we got the competition with all the parts out of the way last year. We knew we could do it. Now it was time to take another step and win these games against good teams.
“I’m not surprised what we do. We feel we can be even better.”
Houston was very good while tearing the suns. Rockets received more than 30 points below each quarter-incumbent 46 in the second-and-shot 57.1 percent (56 out of 98) from the field and 58.1 percent (18 of 31) from 3-point intervals.
Rockets had a 32-8 edge in fast score and got 34 points out of 19 Phoenix turnover.
Fourth year Pro Jalen Green scored 33 points and scored four three on Sunday. He is excited that the playoffs are struggling.
“It feels good, this is what I dreamed about and that is what I have wanted to do since I came here to Houston,” Green said. “I’m excited about it. Right now it’s all about details and I think we’re running it.”
This is the first of twice that the rockets will visit the Lakers (45-29) along the route. Houston returns on April 11.
Earlier this season, Rockets Los Angeles beat 119-115 on January 5 in Houston.
Lakers published a victory 134-127 over Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. It only marked their fifth victory during the last 13 races.
Guard Austin Reaves had 31 points and eight assists for his second straight 30-point excursion. He said the players could feel the urgency after a last second 119-117 loss to the bulls on Thursday when Chicagos Josh Giddey made a half-course shot.
“I think this was a big game for us in the sense that we lost the other night,” Reaves said. “We had not played well. So when we got into (Memphis) game it was obviously high intensity. It’s difficult, the last game on a road trip because you are quite excited to go home. But during the three hours or what the game is, you have to lock in and try to put your best foot forward and win.”
Reaves has four 30-point excursions this month, while an average of 24.2 points, 5.6 assists and 5.3 returns.
Luka Doncic added 29 points and nine assists and LeBron James had 25 points and eight assists. James (left groin trunk) is listed as likely for Monday.
The game against Houston is the first of a three-game home. Golden State Warriors visits Thursday and New Orleans Pelicans is in town Friday.
Los Angeles is only 2 1/2 games that are ready for seventh place Minnesota Timberwolves in the competition for a top-sex playoffs, with grizzlies and warriors in between. So coach JJ Redick is uninterested in discussing how high the Lakers can finish.
“I want to make the playoffs-I don’t want to be in play-in (tournament),” Redick said. “Until it is secured, the sowing tank will not go my mind.”
-Field level media
