With Fred VanVleet out and Houston on night two of a road back-to-back, the Rockets had their five-game winning streak snapped in Sacramento.

Portland will try to end its four-game slide when the Portland Trail Blazers take on Houston. The teams meet Saturday for the first time this season.

The Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies will battle for sole claim of the Western Conference second seed. Both teams are on the verge of becoming true contenders in the West.

Now halfway through the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Houston Rockets are in great position, sitting as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 27-13 record

In the rubber match of a three-game road trip, Houston visits Portland on Saturday. Led by Anfernee Simons, the Blazers won at Houston in November.

The Thunder has a 99.8% chance of being the No. 1 seed in the West, according to basketball-reference.com. Seems low.

Ja Morant might return from injury, and Rockets center Steven Adams will play in Memphis for the first time since the Grizzlies traded him last February.

Alperen Sengun collected 32 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, Jalen Green added 27 points and Fred VanVleet contributed 22 to lead the Houston Rockets past the Memphis Grizzlies 119-115 for their fifth straight road victory.

Fred VanVleet has a hot hand right now, and the Kings have struggled to contain opposing guards this season. Our NBA betting picks expect VanVleet to light up the scoreboard in Sacramento tonight.

Kelly Iko talks to John Hollinger about what makes sense for the Rockets to do at the trade deadline — if anything.

The battle of the second and third-ranked teams in the Western Conference features ... so they receive most of the team's shot attempts. Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks usually shoot the next ...

The Rockets' two top scorers have a chance to be voted into the NBA All-Star Game, recognition their teammates say both players earned. So we had them pitch it.