Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta watches the game against the Miami Heat at Toyota Center on April 05, 2024 in Houston, Texas. Fertitta cited his team's youth as one potential advantage in an extended playoff series. He also expressed faith in Udoka, the lead engineer of Houston's turnaround across the last 15 months.

The Western Conference is as competitive as it has been in seasons. The Oklahoma City Thunder is the clear leader in front of the pack, but the rest of the West

To Amen Thompson's surprise, with five seconds left in a tied midseason game against the defending NBA champions, Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka called a play for the second-year forward. "I liked the matchup,

He used to play on my AAU team,” Russell Westbrook said jokingly after an exchange with Jalen Green. “Talking to me like I’m a little ass kid.”

The Thunder split their four games since beating Cleveland in a rematch of the league’s top two teams. They got back on track Sunday with a 118-108 win at Portland after a rare home loss to Dallas in the second of a back-to-back. OKC is 20-3 at home.

The NBA announced its 2025 All-Star Game starters on Thursday, and the Rockets weren’t represented. But led by Alperen Sengun, they did receive votes.

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard’s court vision is such that while conducting an interview courtside after shootaround Thursday, he was keenly aware of teammate Amen Thompson shooting baskets within earshot.

After practice on Friday, a reporter asked Mike Conley about the upcoming rivalry night game against the Denver Nuggets.

Whenever we see a little separation in their ranks, the standings tighten again. So with apologies to Sacramento and Golden State — both 24-23 but tied for ninth behind too many rivals — here is a look at the eight West teams lined up behind Oklahoma City, with reasons why and why not they might climb as high as No. 2:

Count Nikola Jokic as a believer in the Knicks. After absorbing a 122-112 defeat at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night, the three-time NBA MVP touted the Knicks as legitimate title contenders.

The name, which was created by Jalen Rose's mother, is the most popular in the NBA for the 3rd straight season.

The Knicks have won five in a row including wins over teams like the Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Kings who have all been surging. New York is sitting at No. 3 in the East and is just a game back of the Celtics for the No. 2 seed. The Knicks are jelling at the right time as they continue to move forward with their season.