Rockets show incredible improvement in crucial statistical area

The Houston Rockets have struggled to win the turnover battles at times in 2025-26. Against the Blazers on Friday, they won it by a landslide.

Six. That's how many turnovers the Rockets had in their 140-116 drubbing of Portland. That's not just strong - it's abnormal. It's not unusual to see a single player turn the ball over that many times in an NBA game.

How did the Rockets do it?

Rockets are starting to solve all their problems

Well, you can't put it on the competition.

The Blazers force the third-most turnovers per game in the NBA. Before this contest, they paced the entire league in that category.

The Rockets simply executed. The half-court offense is getting progressively sharper. They ran it through Alperen Sengun throughout much of this game. He responded with nine assists, and he didn't turn the ball over once.

Notably, Kevin Durant demonstrated his trust in the young big man throughout this game. When Sengun would defer to him, Durant would insist that Sengun handle the ball. Durant knows he's at his best when he's set up to isolate. As a ball-handler, he's a bit turnover-prone. This is one adjustment that should benefit the Rockets' offense.

It should also help them regain their 2024-25 identity - only, they'll be better.

Rockets can get back to winning the possession battle

There are two components to winning the possession battle - you need to get the ball, and you need to keep the ball.

Getting the ball comes naturally to the Rockets. Sure, they're middling in terms of opponent turnovers per game (14.5). That's fine. The Rockets' primary "get the ball" strategy comes on the glass.

They're the best rebounding team in the NBA. The Rockets lead the NBA in total rebound percentage (55.8%) and offensive rebound percentage (41.2%). The latter mark would be the highest in NBA history.

That said, getting the ball is less valuable if you're unable to keep it. After last night's pristine performance, the Rockets' 15.9% turnover percentage ranks 20th in the NBA.

That's acceptable, but there's room for improvement. That said, the Rockets are on the right track. The fact that they were able to protect the rock against an elite defensive team even in Fred VanVleet's absence is inspiring.

If they can keep this up, they'll be in the title hunt when the 2025-26 playoffs get underway.