The Houston Rockets are in the loss column after losing 101-100 to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night at the Fiserv Forum, but that shouldn’t erase the impact that the last five wins have had on the team.

At 10-5, the Rockets have one of the best records in the NBA and they are shedding off years of ineptitude as the young core is growing into its own.

That’s also reflected in Law Murray’s power rankings from The Athletic, where the Rockets are No. 5, two spots higher than the previous week.

“Houston has enjoyed a remarkably healthy start to the season,” Murray writes. “The only player in its top eight who has missed even one game is Fred VanVleet, who missed a game with a hamstring issue. Adams has only been able to play in seven of 15 games, and he has yet to reach 16 minutes as Alperen Şengün’s backup. But even the little bit of time Adams has been able to play is a bonus, as these are Adams’ first games since January 2023.”

The only teams that rank higher than the Rockets are the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Rockets are back in action tomorrow against the Indiana Pacers at home before a pair of games against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday and Saturday.

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