The Rockets got what everything they wanted from Wednesday’s 117-91 demolition of the Utah Jazz, rolling up a 39-point lead to head to the playoffs with the head of steam as a jet taking off.
When they watched the final minutes as the Spurs’ comeback in New Orleans fall short, the Rockets had ownership of the Southwest Division championship, their first division title since the 1993-94 season.
With it they moved up to the second seed in the Western Conference and a first-round matchup with the Dallas Mavericks beginning Saturday night in Toyota Center.