Houston Rockets: Top Three Moments of the 2024-25 Season

The Houston Rockets season is over, and they exceeded all expectations in becoming the West's No. 2 seed.

These are their top three moments from the season:

Jumping to the No. 3 Pick

Drafting Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard last summer was a key highlight for this Rockets roster.

Sheppard is only 20 years old, and he can read the court like a veteran. His passing ability and quick hands on defense highlight his game. In the three games he started, he averaged 19.7 points, almost five assists, and two steals.

Throughout the season, he showed flashes of what he can become in the future. He started the season hesitant to shoot, but after playing in the G-League for some time, the point guard started shooting at will.

Averaging those two steals is a good sign for the future, because Houston's team, coached by Ime Udoka, is defensive-minded. Sheppard can be a great point guard for the Rockets in the years to come.

Amen Thompson Pushes Houston Past Celtics

Amen Thompson's game winner against the Boston Celtics was electric.

Boston only lost 13 games at home this season, and Thompson capped off a career game with a floater to give the Rockets the win. The sophomore forward scored 33 points to go along with nine rebounds and four assists.

In addition to his performance, Dillon Brooks scored 36 points on 10 made three-pointers. This game came after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers twice in a row, which made this road win even more impressive.

Making the Playoffs

Making the postseason was undoubtedly Houston's best moment from this season.

After not making the Playoffs since the 2019-20 season, this was a big accomplishment for the young squad.

None of the Rockets' "Core 7" players had participated in a playoff series, and to get that experience is key for the team going forward. They forced a Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors, and just came short of winning the series. But the environment and experience will make this team seriously contend soon.

Honorable mention: Beating the Warriors in the In-Season Tournament was huge for Houston. The "Core 7" players secured their first playoff-esque win in the clutch, and barely won the game thanks to Jalen Green's improved defensive awareness, which has shown significant improvement this season compared to his previous three years. This game showed the Rockets that they can win big games.