Last year, the Houston Rockets surprised the NBA with a highly impressive defensive showing. After ranking 18th in the league in defensive efficiency in 2016-17, the Rockets flew up to sixth a year ago. Allowing just 103.8 points per 100 possessions, the Rockets defense was stingier than that of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and, yes, the Golden State Warriors.
While Houston’s elite offense earned the team headlines, it was the defensive success that helped the team thrive. When the Warriors put the clamps on the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, Houston retaliated with an impressive defensive performance that nearly propelled the team to the NBA Finals.