The Houston Rockets are proving that they firmly belong in the title conversation after weeks of elite two-way basketball. Most recently, they proved they could without their star scorer in Kevin Durant, defeating a hot Phoenix Suns team 114-92 on Monday night.

No. 16 Tennessee basketball is playing No. 2 Houston at the Players Era Festival. Follow live updates from Las Vegas.

Nobody else has dove in on offensive rebounding to the extent the Rockets have, with their massive 38.5 percent offensive rebound rate after an offseason spent adding ever more size to go with their already formidable frontcourt. But in a copycat NBA, this could be the latest Houston-initiated math hack that ends up widely imitated.

Having long-embraced his role as a “villain” in the NBA, Suns forward Dillon Brooks has never been one to back away from physicality and trash-talk when heated moments

The Houston Rockets lead the NBA in offensive rating, scoring 123.4 points per 100 possessions, and are starting to look like a threat in the West.

Kelvin Sampson's team lost a few players from that squad, but returned key pieces and NBA Draft prospects Joseph Tugler and Milos Uzan. Additionally, the team added a few high-profile freshman who have already looked impressive for Houston.

Carmelo and his ex-wife, La La Anthony, were hyped when their son, Kiyan, threw down a vicious dunk after a steal.

Houston freshman Kingston Flemings is capturing the attention of NBA scouts after a dominant start to the season and a loud statement against Auburn.

It’s not often star point guards are available on the trade market, but that’s exactly the case in this year’s NBA. In recent weeks, the prospect of both Grizzlies’ star Ja Morant and Hornets’ star LaMelo Ball landing with new teams this season has surfaced.