Seven of the Rockets' next eight opponents have records below .500, but as their most recent game/loss to the Wizards suggests, the Rockets have to cherish this opportunity.

The Warriors are the only team with a winning record over the next two weeks. Nine of the team's 14 games in March come at the friendly confines of the Toyota Center, where the Rockets are 19-8.

However, the Rockets know they have to seize this opportunity to not only make the playoffs, but to possibly get a higher Western Conference seed. And they know they let an opportunity slip away Saturday against the Wizards when they lost 105-103.

"We let the game slip away, but we're not allowed to at this point in the season," James Harden said. "We have a lot of teams under .500 (coming up), so we really have to do a good job of focusing in on what we have to do in order to win those games."

It all starts Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.