When Houston lost its Emirates NBA Cup 2025 opener by double digits in San Antonio, its odds of advancing to December’s eight-team knockout rounds appeared low.
But one week later, after Friday’s 24-point blowout of Portland (led by Kevin Durant, who scored 30 points and was +37 in his minutes), the Rockets are suddenly in a much better spot.
Between Houston’s home win over the Trail Blazers and Golden State’s late-night victory at San Antonio, all five teams in Western Conference Group C are now 1-1 at the midway point of group play.