If the 2019 NBA playoffs started today, the Houston Rockets (49-28) at the four seed would play the Utah Jazz (47-30) at the five seed.
The Rockets are tied with the Trail Blazers record-wise, but Portland gets the 3rd seed. The Rockets are 2.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets (and hold the tiebreak over them).
Clearly, the Western Conference playoffs matchups won’t be decided until the final day of the season, but a few things can swing Houstons’ way and catapult them up to No. 2
The Blazers have five games left, and two of them are against the Nuggets. The other three games are against sub-.500 teams.
The Nuggets meanwhile have six games left, all against above-.500 teams: Warriors, Spurs, Blazers, Blazers, Jazz, Timberwolves.
That means the onus is on the Rockets, to finish their season as strong as possible.
Houston plays the Kings tonight, followed by: Clippers, Knicks, Suns, Thunder. We know that the Rockets are gunning for that 2nd seed, and it is clearly in their grasp.
