While many will look to the Sixers or Thunder, the Rockets path to success most closely resembles what the Jazz can and should do.

Houston Rockets wing Dillon Brooks received an automatic one-game suspension for picking up his 16th technical foul this season in Wednesday's 143-105 win over the Utah Jazz. The NBA confirmed Thursday the ruling was upheld, thus triggering the suspension.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have gone nearly a month without a loss, an active 11-game win streak has turned the impossible into a plausible — can they be the third team in NBA history to reach 70 wins?

Oklahoma City enters a matchup against Houston after winning 11 straight road games. The teams square off Friday for the first time this season.

It had been a foregone conclusion for a while, yet the Rockets had reason to rejoice. With their 143-105 home victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, the Rockets (50-27) secured their first playoff berth in five years.

The Thunder are currently riding an 11-game winning streak atop the Western Conference standings, 14.5 games ahead of second-place Houston. Meanwhile, leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has all but wrapped up the NBA regular season MVP award, currently sitting with minus-3000 odds to bring home the honor.