Houston Rockets NBA Cup Schedule: Full List of games

For every team in the NBA, the goal is the Larry O'Brien trophy. The Houston Rockets are no exception. They won't enter the 2024-25 season with title aspirations, but the goal is to be competing for the big prize as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the Rockets can set their sight on a different goal. Last season, the league introduced their inaugural in-season Emirates NBA Cup. The Lakers won. Now, the Rockets will look to emulate their success. We've finally got some idea of how likely they are to accomplish that goal:

The league just released the team's schedule for the 2024 tournament.

Rockets face a challenging slate of opponents

This is an interesting schedule. We won't want to say it's easy, but to paraphrase the great Dikembe Mutombo, it's no walk in the cake either.

Barring injury, we can pencil in a likely loss against the Timberwolves. With the same caveat, we're expecting a win against the rebuilding Trail Blazers.

What about the Clippers and Kings? That remains to be seen. The Clippers took a step backward this summer when they lost Paul George. They're still a formidable squad, but they're notoriously aging and injury-prone. If they regress, or they aren't at full strength, the Rockets could steal a win in the opener.

Did the Kings get better by adding DeMar DeRozan? In terms of pure talent aggregation, sure. We'll see if the ball-dominant star can share the floor with Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox. If the Kings aren't clicking in December, the Rockets could be favored in that matchup as well.

Does it even matter? What's at stake in the tournament?

Rockets need any win they can get

Well, the winning team gets a $500,000 cash prize. Still, it's more than that - it's pride. This is the most competitive basketball league in the world. If there's a prize to be won, these guys want it.

Winning the in-season tournament could benefit a young team like the Rockets. It would give them some confidence, and an opportunity to bond. The Rockets should be vying for the prize when November roles around:

Even if it isn't an NBA championship.