The Rockets improved to 34-20 overall, moving ahead of Denver into the third spot in the West. Houston is 4.5 games back of second-place San Antonio, with several teams including the Nuggets, Lakers, and Timberwolves close behind. Despite recent off-court distractions, the team has shown significant improvement after a 10-11 stretch from Dec. 1 through Jan. 15.
Led by Kevin Durant, the Rockets will look to build on their momentum when they face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. Central and will be broadcast nationally on ABC.