The Rockets have spent much of the month of March in the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference standings, but things are changing with Houston's recent winning streak.
Friday's blowout victory over Dallas was the fifth straight for the Rockets (42-25). Elsewhere in the NBA, Cleveland won big at Memphis to drop the Grizzlies to that same record — and Houston has already clinched that tiebreaker based on head-to-head results.
The Lakers (40-25) lost later in the night to the Nuggets (43-24), which also moved Houston in front of Los Angeles by a game.