Throughout the Houston Rockets' franchise history, they have featured some of the best centers in the league. From Elvin Hayes to Moses Malone, of course, the g

The Houston Rockets got stuck in a tough group in the NBA Cup, which means Wednesday night is their final game of this year's in-season tournament.

The Rockets’ early success comes with warning signs that could impact their long-term championship hopes in 2025-26.

Houston's talent pool is reflected in The Ringer's latest list of the top NBA 100 players. One month into the season, the Rockets have four players featured, including three in the top 35.

Nobody else has dove in on offensive rebounding to the extent the Rockets have, with their massive 38.5 percent offensive rebound rate after an offseason spent adding ever more size to go with their already formidable frontcourt. But in a copycat NBA, this could be the latest Houston-initiated math hack that ends up widely imitated.

Here's where things stand in the NBA Gold Cup ahead of Friday's game. Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. on NBA League Pass The knockout stage quarterfinals run from Dec. 9-10 with two games on each day. The semifinals will commence three days later on Saturday, Dec. 13 and the Finals will be on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

The Houston Rockets are proving that they firmly belong in the title conversation after weeks of elite two-way basketball. Most recently, they proved they could without their star scorer in Kevin Durant, defeating a hot Phoenix Suns team 114-92 on Monday night.

Ime Udoka praises Rockets guard Reed Sheppard for his NBA Cup career-high and a breakout built on defense, toughness, and two-way growth.