Houston Rockets Had One of the Best Rebounding Seasons in Franchise History

The Houston Rockets finished their 2024-2025 regular season with a 126-111 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon. The Rockets lost their last three games of the regular season and finished 52-30. However, those losses are deceiving, considering the Rockets rested the majority of their rotation in the last three games.

The Rockets went 15-2 prior to their last three games of the regular season, which helped them secure not only home court in the first round but the No. 2 seed prior to their final matchup with the LA Clippers.

That allowed the Rockets to rest most of their players at different times in the last three games. Even in the previous regular season game, the starters only played the first three quarters. The Rockets are still waiting to find out who their opponent will be as the Play-In Tournament starts Tuesday. The Rockets will play the winner of the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies matchup.

Despite the three-game losing streak, the Rockets will be heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Their 52 wins are their most since the 2018-19 season. One of the main reasons for their 52 wins this season has been their rebounding, specifically their offensive rebounding.

The Rockets were the best rebounding team the entire season. They joined the 2015-16 Oklahoma City Thunder and the 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies as the only teams to outrebound their opponents by at least 500 rebounds. One common denominator between all three teams was that Steven Adams was on each team.

The Rockets were even more dominant on the offensive boards, averaging 14.6 offensive rebounds this season. The Rockets finished with 1,200 offensive rebounds, which was the most offensive rebounds since the Warriors' 1,284 in the 2002-03 season.

The Rockets were so dominant on the boards this season that they finished with their best total rebounding mark in 52 seasons! The Rockets finished averaging 48.5 rebounds per game which is their best rebounding total since the 1972-73 season when they averaged 49.5. Players like Alperen Sengun who finished with a career high 10.3 rebounds per game and the affortmentioned Steven Adams were the best rebounders on the team.

Despite playing limited minutes this season, Adams significantly impacted the boards. On the season, Adams ranked second in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes. Adams also averaged 7.5 offensive boards per 36 minutes, the highest in NBA history for players who played in at least 40 games.

Certain aspects of a game are difficult to control, especially in the playoffs. Sometimes, shots may not fall on the offensive end, or a player you are counting gets into early foul trouble, which throws off your rotation. Rebounding, however, is an area you can always control because most rebounding is about effort and preparation.

In the playoffs, every possession is magnified,, as most games come down to the last few minutes. The Rockets' edge in rebounding could be the difference between advancing to the second round and going home early.