Last fall, the Houston Rockets made an impressive run to the semifinals of the annual Emirates NBA Cup. That in-season tournament run concluded with a last-second home win over the Golden State Warriors in a thrilling quarterfinal and a competitive semifinal loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Las Vegas.
Both were single elimination games, for tournament purposes, and the added intensity may have helped a young Rockets team as they geared up for an eventual playoff appearance.
In 2025, however, a return trip to the knockout rounds is becoming unlikely.
In a grouping that some are calling the “group of death,” the Rockets took an 11-point loss in Friday’s game at San Antonio, their first of 2025 NBA Cup play.