Bleacher Report on Rockets’ burning question entering 2025 playoffs: ‘Clutch scoring’
After trailing the Denver Nuggets by 19 points late in Sunday's third period, the Houston Rocketscut into that lead significantly in the fourth quarter.
They couldn't, however, get over the final hump — with players such as Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun all misfiring on open shots or free-throw attempts in the closing minutes.
It's part of a broader trend. In a new column at Bleacher Report listing one major question for each NBA team as the 2024-25 regular season winds down and the 2025 playoffs approach, Grant Hughes lists "clutch scoring" as the burning question in Houston.
Regarding the Rockets, Hughes writes:
Houston’s clutch record comes with a negative net rating and some of the worst late-game offensive numbers in the league.
The Rockets have been lucky to win as many games as they have, and their inability to generate good looks in the moments that matter most is a red flag.
If Houston can’t get buckets against dialed-in defenses down the stretch of regular-season games, it’s a good indicator it’ll have a hard time in the playoffs.
This isn’t news to anyone who’s watched Houston this year and/or paid attention to the numbers. For the Rockets to be taken seriously, they need to see Fred VanVleet, Alperen Sengün, Jalen Green, and even Amen Thompson prove they can produce offensively when the stakes are highest.
Even with the subpar efficiency numbers, it's not all bad. In fact, the Rockets have won an NBA-high 23 games this season featuring “close and late” circumstances, defined by the league as the score being within five points in the final five minutes.
The record is hard to deny, and Houston (46-26) currently ranks No. 2 in the Western Conference standings for a reason. But it could be even better, and more reliable clutch scoring is the easiest way to reach that next tier.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Bleacher Report on Rockets’ burning question in 2025: ‘Clutch scoring’
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