The excitement surrounding the Houston Rockets following their first two James Harden-led victories has tempered somewhat following two straight losses, the latest of which came at the hands of the Denver Nuggets 93-87 on Wednesday.

At 2-2, the Rockets share the bottom of a competitive Southwest Division in the early-going with the New Orleans Hornets. The Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs share the lead -- and the West's top records -- at 4-1 while the Memphis Grizzlies are right in the middle at 3-1. The Southwest is the only division in the NBA at this point where no team is under .500.

Of course it's too early to project where Houston finishes at the end of the season, but as of right now, .500 probably wouldn't crack the eight-team Western Conference playoffs. There's still plenty of time for that to change, though.

Here's a look at the NBA standings through Thursday morning:

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Team, record (Games behind)

1. New York Knicks, 3-0
2. Boston Celtics, 2-2 (1 1/5)
3. Philadelphia 76ers, 2-2 (1 1/5)
4. Brooklyn Nets, 1-2 (2)
5. Toronto Raptors, 1-4 (3)

Central Division

1. Chicago Bulls, 3-1
2. Milwaukee Bucks, 2-1 (1/2)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers, 2-3 (1 1/2)
4. Indiana Pacers, 2-3 (1 1/2)
5. Detroit Pistons, 0-5 (3 1/2)

Southeast Division

1. Miami Heat, 4-1
2. Atlanta Hawks, 2-1 (1)
3. Orlando Magic, 2-2 (1 1/2)
4. Charlotte Bobcats, 1-2 (2)
5. Washington Wizards, 0-3 (3)

Western Conference
Southwest Division
Team, record (Games behind)

1. Dallas Mavericks, 4-1
2. San Antonio Spurs, 4-1
3. Memphis Grizzlies, 3-1 (1/2)
4. Houston Rockets, 2-2 (1 1/2)
5. New Orleans Hornets, 2-2 (1 1/2)

Northwest Division

1. Minnesota Timberwolves, 3-1
2. Oklahoma City Thunder, 2-2 (1)
3. Portland Trail Blazers, 2-2 (1)
4. Denver Nuggets, 2-3 (1 1/2)
5. Utah Jazz, 2-3 (1 1/2)

Pacific Division

1. Golden State Warriors, 3-2
2. Los Angeles Clippers, 3-2
3. Phoenix Suns, 2-3 (1)
4. Sacramento Kings, 2-3 (1)
5. Los Angeles Lakers, 1-4 (2)