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The Rockets have done all they can without Tracy McGrady, who's career may as well be over. He won't return until next December during the final year of his $23 million a year contract.

I've been proud of the Rockets, hanging tough and in position to win the third overall seed in the Western Conference without T-Mac. They're an exciting team to watch and I'll be proud of them no matter what they do in the 2009 NBA Playoffs in three weeks.

The Rockets haven't won a playoff series since 1997, so it's hard to fathom them advancing past the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, but you never know what can happen!

I hope the Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Mavericks or Hornets in the first round because I believe the Rockets can possibly make a 7-game series with all of those teams very interesting. And they'd probably go all seven games...

I'd rather avoid the Utah Jazz... I doubt we'll finish 7th or 8th so need to worry about the Lakers or Spurs in the first round. But definitely 3 to 6 are possibilities for the Rockets. An outside chance at the second seed also but unlikely.

Rockets beat the Clippers at home...

At 48-26, the Rockets are tied with the Nuggets but the Rockets own the tie-breaker with Denver so the Rockets are currently the third seed with 8 games left.

Rockets play at Phoenix on Wednesday Night, after having three days off.

It's so tight in the Western Conference. The Rockets can still pass the Spurs for the second seed or the Rockets can still drop all the way down to the eighth and final seed.

Anything can happen in these final 8 games.

On the plus side, if the Rockets beat the Suns on Wednesday Night... That would be another step closer to eliminating the Suns from playoff contention, which would mean every team currently seeded will make the playoffs, including the Mavericks.

The Rockets have a brutal final eight games though...

At Suns, at Lakers, Trail Blazers, Magic, at Kings, at Warriors, Hornets and at Mavericks.

That's a tough stretch of games...

All the Rockets have to do is win one game, or have the Suns lose one game, to clinch a playoff berth though. The only way the Rockets can miss the playoffs is if they lose all 8 games left and the Suns win all 8 games left.

I expect the Rockets to beat the Suns on Wednesday Night, so that will be cool to officially make the 2009 NBA Playoffs. After losing Tracy McGrady for the season, a $23 million dollar a year player, I was worried but the Rockets have actually become a better team without T-Mac, especially on the defensive end. Starting both Ron Artest and Shane Battier has been a blessing in disguise. Luis Scola is playing well, Yao Ming is dominating the paint and Brooks and Lowry are a quick and exciting point guard duo.

I just hope we get Carl Landry back in time for the playoffs. He was shot in the leg a week ago and should return in two weeks. It was just a "flesh wound" and he's lucky he wasn't killed.

The Chuck Wagon "Chuck Hayes" is a nice hustle player but Carl Landry is a much better backup power forward. Von Wafer is also a nice scorer and sparkplug for the Rockets, coming off the bench. Brent Barry can still make threes as well.

It's going to be interesting to watch the Rockets in the playoffs. Most people think they're not any good without Tracy McGrady, but they're quite the exciting team right now.

JC, good luck to the Mavericks!

Rockets play the Mavericks on ESPN the final game of the regular season on April 15. Hopefully that game is meaningless for both teams. We'll have the second or third seed wrapped up and Dallas will have already clinched a playoff spot. I'd like for that final game to be a good time to rest players.

Wouldn't that be something if the Rockets played the Mavericks in the first round? That's still a possibility at this point. LOL, anything can happen during these final two weeks.

The Rockets lost 114-109 to the Suns tonight!

A total choke job during the final 8 minutes of the game. After having a 96-89 lead, the Rockets missed nine straight shots, the Suns went on a 15-0 run to take a 104-96 lead. And by the time it was over, the Suns left the Rockets reeling in the Western Conference Standings.

A chance to get the second seed, and now the Rockets can easily fall all the way down to the fifth, sixth or seventh seed if they don't take these final two weeks more seriously.

I'm so disappointed, the Rockets left me speechless tonight.

JC, I now fear the worst after feeling more optimistic just yesterday. Another first-round playoff exit could be the sad reality for the Rockets. Not since 1997 have they won a playoff series and it's so sad that I wasted the past 12 years believing in this team.

That's 12 years, watching every game... Believing in nothing!

And I doubt the Rockets will beat the Lakers in L.A. on Friday Night, especially when they couldn't win at Phoenix or at Utah. Tracy McGrady's season-ending injury can't even be used an excuse because I felt this team was playing better without him, sigh...

Good luck to the Mavericks, JC. I'm sorry the Rockets choked away tonight's game against the Suns. That could have just about eliminated the Suns, but instead they still have a small chance to catch the Mavericks for the 8th seed.