ben dubose
·6 min read
The Houston Rockets on Thursday announced their complete schedule for the 2024-25 regular season, which will be their 58th as an NBA franchise and their 54th in Houston.
The Rockets went 41-41 last season after finishing 22-60 in 2022-23, marking the second-best improvement in win total from one season to the next in franchise history. That 19-win jump was the biggest annual increase of any NBA team last season.
Tickets for Rockets home games are available to purchase by visiting Rockets.com.Of the 40 home games currently on Houston’s schedule this season, half fall on Friday nights or the weekend.
The Rockets will play a total of 11 games on national TV this season, including two on TNT, one on ESPN, and eight on NBA TV. Space City Home Network will broadcast all four preseason games along with all available regular-season games, excluding the two TNT games.All games will be broadcast on the radio via SportsTalk 790 KBME and NewsRadio 740 KTRH, as well as in Spanish on TUDN 93.3 FM.
For the first time since 2019, the Rockets will open a season at home by hosting Charlotte on Oct. 23.Houston plays 11 of its first 18 games at Toyota Center, including vs. Golden State on Nov. 2.
On Nov. 15, Houston hosts the Los Angeles Clippers to mark the start of their group-play schedule for the league’s in-season tournament — which is now known as the Emirates NBA Cup. The Rockets remaining group-play games will occur vs. Portland on Nov. 22; at Minnesota on Nov. 26; and at Sacramento on Dec. 3.
The three group winners and one wild-card team from each conference will advance to the knockout rounds. The quarterfinals will begin on Dec. 10, and they will be followed by the semifinals and championship at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The 22 teams which do not qualify will each be assigned two regular season games, one at home and one away, to be played from Dec. 12-16. The losing teams from the quarterfinals of each conference will play one regular-season game against each other.More information on Emirates NBA Cup 2024 is availablehere.
Leading into the knockout rounds, Houston will play five of six games on the road from Nov. 26 through Dec. 8.Following the conclusion of Emirates NBA Cup, the Rockets will play six of nine at home inside Toyota Center, ending with a five-game homestand from Dec. 27 to Jan. 5 against Minnesota, Miami, Dallas on New Year’s Day, the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
From Jan. 7 through Feb. 8, the Rockets will play 13 of 17 games on the road, including a season-high four straight to end that stretch. This includes the two nationally televised games on TNT, which occur at Sacramento on Jan. 16 and at Memphis on Jan. 30.
On the flip side, Houston plays 13 of 17 at home from Feb. 9 through March 17, including hosting an ESPN game vs. San Antonio on Feb. 26.Eight of the team’s final 13 games will be on the road, with the season finale at Toyota Center vs. Denver on April 13.
The Rockets have 16 sets of back-to-back games, including four sets with both games at home and seven with both games on the road.
Read on for further analysis by media members and fans who follow the team, along with the team’s official announcement videos.
2024-25 schedule release reaction
#Rockets 2024-25 schedule highlights:
See AlsoLa WNBA revient cette nuit : 9 choses à observer avant la fin de saisonNBA all-21-and-under mock draft: Wemby, Paolo Banchero top the list🏀 Open at home on October 23/25 versus Charlotte, Memphis
🏀 Three Rockets/Spurs games in first 8
🏀 West teams to play only 3 times: Lakers, Nuggets, Kings, Suns, Jazz, Trail Blazers
🏀 National TV: 11 games (8 NBA TV, 3 TNT/ESPN)
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) August 15, 2024
The full schedule for the @HoustonRockets 🚀🚀🚀
Which matchups excite you the most? pic.twitter.com/W6khgghPw0
— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) August 15, 2024
#Rockets have a pretty ideal opportunity to start fast. Among first 11 games: Hornets, Grizzlies, Spurs 3X, Warriors, Pistons, Wizards
Only true contenders in there are Thunder, Mavericks, and Knicks
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) August 15, 2024
#Rockets schedule:
🏀play 11 of 1st 18 games at home
🏀play 5 of 6 on the road from 11/26-12/8
🏀5-game homestand from 12/27-1/5
🏀1/7-2/8 play 13 of 17 on road
🏀2/9-3/17 play 13 of 17 at home
🏀8 of final 13 on road
🏀season finale at home vs. Denver on 4/13 pic.twitter.com/la8Gyv6mod— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) August 15, 2024
Rockets host Hornets to open 2024-25.
Will have some extended thoughts in a bit, but quite the favorable early slate.
Charlotte
Detroit
Washington
San Antonio (3x)All on the schedule in the first 11 games ... (h/t to @BenDuBose for having it first)https://t.co/9GOxn07NtK
— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) August 15, 2024
The end of the season is going to be interesting for the playoff chase. The Rockets final 5 games are:
OKC
at Golden State
at LA Clippers
at LA Lakers
DenverHouston's final 9 games are all against West teams, with 6 of them being on the road.
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) August 15, 2024
The NBA still doesn't see the Houston Rockets as a primetime team yet. They will play only two games on TNT and one on ESPN this year. They do have 8 games on NBA-TV, however.
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) August 15, 2024
The NBA Cup will be challenging for the Rockets. Of the four qualifying games, the two on the road will be against the TWolves and Kings.
11/15 - Clippers at Rockets
11/22 - Blazers at Rockets
11/26 - Rockets at TWolves
12/3 - Rockets at Kings— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) August 15, 2024
This is random, but on Monday, Nov. 4 — day before the election — the NBA has all 30 teams playing, but with start times staggered 15 minutes apart.
So, Knicks/Rockets in Houston will start at 7:45 Central. As for the motivation, your guess is as good as mine. Staggered endings?
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) August 15, 2024
Rockets will play Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs three times in the first seven games. Their only remaining matchup after that will be in late February in Houston. pic.twitter.com/KCAZ0dptFI
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) August 15, 2024
I firmly expect Houston to be in the thick of the Play-In race this season, but the last two months will be tricky -
Kings-Thunder-Pacers-Pelicans-Magic-Suns-Mavs at the beginning of March
Suns-Lakers-Thunder-Warriors-Clippers-Lakers-Nuggets in April
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) August 15, 2024
Per @tankathon the #Rockets have the 3rd toughest strength of schedule, trailing only the Jazz and Blazers.
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) August 15, 2024
Playing San Antonio 3 times over the span of 12 days in the first 2 weeks of the season. *Rivalry intensifies*
— Rocketgirl (@00rocketgirl) August 15, 2024
Adam Silver BLESSED the Rockets.
6 of their first 11 games include:
Hornets, Wizards, Pistons, Spurs (3x) https://t.co/11FdNQc8jF pic.twitter.com/bmSXKxkiQG
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) August 15, 2024
🚨 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃 🚨
We asked #QRocketsGuy to help us release the schedule with FREE TICKETS!
*hint: the QR code is still active 😏*https://t.co/14GX9PveF4 | #sweepstakes pic.twitter.com/WTwxRuBMG7
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) August 15, 2024
Air Corgi has that dawg in him 🐶
Watch him predict an 82-0 season! 👏 pic.twitter.com/8mQHp7PxGz
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) August 15, 2024
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Takeaways: Rockets’ schedule released for 2024-25 NBA season
