The Houston Rockets were back home Wednesday night as they hosted the struggling Sacramento Kings. The Rockets were looking to bounce back from their disappointing loss to the Utah Jazz Monday night on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Rockets got off to another slow start, struggling for most of the first half to build any separation from the Kings. The Rockets trailed for most of the first half and were down by a point going into halftime. The Rockets were struggling from the field and couldn’t get any kind of pace or rhythm going for the most part.

One area where the Rockets excelled was rebounding, an area they have been dominant in over the last two seasons. The Rockets stayed in the game despite poor shooting because they crashed the boards, especially on the offensive end.

In the third quarter, the Rockets continued to dominate on the boards and started making shots, taking control of the game. The Rockets outscored the Kings 36-19 in the third quarter and cruised to an easy 121-95 victory. It was the seventh time this season the Rockets defeated an opponent by 20 or more points, and their rebounding play was a big part in that.

The Houston Rockets Are Rebounding at an Historic Rate This Season

The Rockets won by 26 points last night, and the main reason was their rebounding. The Rockets outrebounded the Kings by 30 in Wednesday’s win, marking the second time they’ve done so this season. They also passed that incredible mark once last season. To put that in perspective, from 1984 to 2024, the Rockets had only outrebounded their opponents by 30 once.

The Rockets, as you would expect, lead the NBA in rebounding at 61.5, which is almost five rebounds more than the second-place Detroit Pistons. The Rockets are also leading the league in offensive rebounding at 16.6 a game. To put the Rockets’ offensive rebounding in perspective, no other team has averaged more than 14.6 offensive rebounds a game for a season in the last 22 seasons.

That is historic offensive rebounding numbers the Rockets are putting up this season, and it all starts with one of the best offensive rebounders of all time, Steven Adams. Adams is averaging a remarkable 4.9 rebounds in only 21 minutes of play this season, which would be the second-best offensive rebounding mark of his career.

Adams’ rebounding impact goes wherever he plays, as he has been part of three teams that have had their best or one of the best rebounding seasons in their franchise’s history. It is not just Adams who is excelling on the boards. From Alperen Sengun to Amen Thompson and even Reed Sheppard, the Rockets are crashing the boards at a historic rate, and it has played a big part in their 14-5 start to the season.