It appeared as though fans of the Houston Rockets would endure more of the same disappointing play they've become accustomed to over the past three seasons after they began the 2023-24 campaign on a rough note. The Rockets, despite splashing the cash on Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, lost their first three games of the season, suffering two straight double-digit losses and then a heartbreaking OT loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

However, since then, the Rockets have been on an upward trajectory, beating the Charlotte Hornets convincingly and then demolishing the Sacramento Kings, last year's Pacific Division champion, on two consecutive occasions. Now with a 3-3 record, the Rockets have developed into a respectable team, and in fact, they can snap an embarrassing drought if they manage to win their fourth game in a row on Wednesday night when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers.

According to Bradeaux of the Bradeaux and Will Show, the Rockets, if they win against LeBron James and the Lakers later tonight, can move to over .500 for the first time in 1,005 days, nearly three years ago to this day. February 5, 2021 was the last time the Rockets had a winning record; they still had Christian Wood, John Wall, Victor Oladipo, and PJ Tucker on the roster then.

During that time, the Rockets were already reeling, beginning the season with a 4-9 record and struggling to right the ship in the aftermath of the trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. However, Oladipo and company proceeded to play out of their minds. They improved to 11-10 with a win against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 3, 2021. Since then, the Rockets have played some terrible basketball, prioritizing lottery odds over short-term gains on the hardwood.

Of course, the Rockets may find it difficult against the Lakers later tonight; LeBron James, after all, should be highly motivated yet again after Dillon Brooks talked some smack towards The King, while Anthony Davis has been a handful for the Rockets to defend over the past few seasons. But with history on the line, the Rockets should have all the motivation they need as well to continue their modest winning streak.