The Houston Rockets have a slim 1.5 game lead over Utah for the eighth and final playoff spot in the NBA's Western Conference, but the good news is that they're just a win or two shy of jumping into the sixth seed and avoiding a potential first round match-up with Oklahoma City or San Antonio.
Houston, Denver and Dallas are all tied with 32-36 records, with Dallas travelling to Golden State on Thursday night while the Rockets and Nuggets are idle. With the Rockets hosting Phoenix and the Nuggets playing at L.A. on Friday, a Houston win and a Dallas or Denver loss could get the Rockets off the playoff cliff.
For more on the Houston Rockets, check out The Dream Shake and SB Nation's NBA page.
