![]() In the playoffs, the Rockets defeated the 8th-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the First Round in five games, advancing to the Conference Semifinals, where they defeated the Utah Jazz in five games. They lost the Conference Finals to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors in seven games. During game seven of that series, with the chance to go to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995, the Rockets lost 101–92 and set an NBA Playoff record by missing 27 straight 3-point shots.The Houston Rockets saw a dramatic transformation to their squad over the past couple of months, which culminated with former cornerstone superstar James Harden being sent over to the Brooklyn Nets. It took some time - and a lot of drama - but the Rockets finally got the deal done. In the process, Houston officially turned a page on their franchise as they look forward to a fresh start. ![]() The Harden trade ended up being a four-team blockbuster deal, which involved the Nets, the Indiana Pacers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. As part of the deal, the Rockets acquired Victor Oladipo, Rodions Kurucs, Dante Exum, four future first-round picks, and four pick swaps with Brooklyn. Not long before the Harden deal, the Rockets also pulled a trigger on a trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards in exchange for John Wall, who himself spent the entirety of last season recovering from an Achilles injury. Other major offseason departures for Houston include Robert Covington (traded to the Portland Trail Blazers), Jeff Green (free agent), DeMarre Carroll (free agent), Tyson Chandler (free agent), Luc Mbah a Moute (free agent), Austin Rivers (free agent), and Thabo Sefolosha (free agent). With former head coach Mike D'Antoni out of the picture (as well as ex-GM Daryl Morey), the Rockets opted to veer away from their small-ball lineup. They added a couple of bigs to their lineup during the offseason in Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins.Īfter the whirlwind of transactions, it appears that the Rockets will now be rolling with a core of Wall, Oladipo, and Christian Wood. It goes without saying, however, that this could always change in an instant if Houston's front office decides to do a full reboot.Įxceptional offense has always been a trademark of Mike D'Antoni-led teams, and this was on full display yet again for the Rockets in 2019-20. The Rockets were able to put up the second-most points in the entire league throughout the regular season with 117.8 points per contest. They were a close second to the league-best Milwaukee Bucks, who themselves averaged 118.7 points scored per game.
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