March 26th, Beijing time - The Rockets have returned to the third spot in the Western Conference as the team gradually gets back on track. Tomorrow, they will face off against the Timberwolves at home, a team that has already been eliminated from playoff contention, making it an important game for the Rockets to solidify their gains.
The Timberwolves, with an 18-51 record, are ranked third-to-last in the West. The playoffs have long been out of reach for them. For this young team, these final 13 games are merely practice matches, where winning or losing is not as significant. On another level, given their current strength and morale, defeating the surging Rockets would be extremely difficult.
The Rockets also only have 11 regular-season games left, and they must go all out to secure more victories. In the fiercely competitive Western Conference, even a slight misstep could lead to significant fluctuations in rankings. Although they are temporarily not at risk of falling out of the top eight, being demoted to positions 5 through 8 would mean losing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Without Yao Ming, having home-court advantage is crucial for the Rockets if they want to advance past the first round of the playoffs. In other words, the Rockets must win the games they should in the upcoming battles, and the Timberwolves tomorrow is a team they must defeat.
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