Revenge is a dish best served cold. Of course. When you’re on an NBA team like the Houston Rockets, you serve revenge any way you want.
No team wants to feel like the other team has their number. The more games in a row you lose to the same team, the more the need for revenge becomes pressing.
The Rockets are under pressure. They have a score to settle. Here are 4 teams that have had the Rockets’ number and when they can get it their (sweet, sweet) revenge.
The first team the Rockets will seek revenge against is the one they need it most against. The Indiana Pacers have won an impressive 9 straight games against the Rockets. Houston will seek revenge at home on September 11th. Wednesday, November 20.
It’s the result of two divergent organizational philosophies. The last few years before 2023-24 haven’t been particularly kind to the Pacers, but this team has never been in trouble. The Pacers, playing in a small market, never collapse. They prefer to stay on the treadmill of mediocrity until they find a way to organically climb out of it.
So while they may not be great, they are guaranteed to do better than a Rockets team that intentionally loses. That said, the Rockets’ tanking days are over. Thankfully, the Pacers are stronger than they have been in quite some time.
Revenge may be necessary here, but it will take work.
The Wolves haven’t been a thorn in the Rockets’ side. They’ve only conceded three straight wins against them. The Rockets will try to avoid scoring 4 points. Tuesday November 26 in Minnesota.
Again, it won’t be easy. The Timberwolves were Western Conference finalists in 2024-25. They’re a formidable team. One might wonder if the surplus of players in their frontcourt is problematic for a team that wants to run its offense through an interior scorer like Alperen Sengun.
Could Houston focus more on lineups with Jabari Smith Jr. on the 5th line? Getting Rudy Gobert out of the paint is usually a recipe for success. That said, Ime Udoka could have a completely different strategy. Hopefully whatever his strategy is, it will result in a win.
Back-to-back away games, each with a rematch. Like the Wolves, the Sixers have tied three straight games with the Rockets. They play them on November 27 in the city of brotherly love.
This isn’t the Sixers team from last year. Tobias Harris is out. Paul George is back. That should make them a stronger team. It’s starting to feel like the NBA is competitive.
If the Rockets have an advantage The Sixers have depth. The Sixers have an MVP candidate in Joel Embiid and two co-stars in George and Tyrese Maxey. To beat them, the Rockets have to win every minute one of them (or if they’re lucky, none) is on the court.
Houston feels like they’ve been struggling in the Eastern Conference. The Heat have beaten them in 8 straight games.
On December 29, The Rockets host them. Unlike the other teams on this list, the Rockets might be favored in this matchup. Miami has won 46 games in a significantly weaker Eastern Conference in 2023-24. Jimmy Butler is aging and the Rockets are on the rise.
That’s not to say it’s going to be easy. The Heat are a team that has earned a reputation for grit. They’ll be looking to make it 9 in a row…
Hopefully the Rockets can calm them down.
