The Houston Rockets entered the 2025-26 season as one of the NBA’s hottest surprises, building on last year’s second-seed finish in the brutal Western Conference with a blockbuster offseason addition: Kevin Durant. Under Ime Udoka‘s masterful coaching, the team started 15-5, looking like legitimate contenders with a humming offense, stifling defense, and clutch reliability thanks to KD.
But recent weeks brought turbulence. A shocking loss to the Dallas Mavericks sparked a rough stretch, dropping five of their next seven games—including defeats to the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Clippers. Heading into Christmas Day against the Lakers, Houston appeared to be spiraling.
Then came the turnaround. In a commanding 119-96 blowout victory over the Lakers, the Rockets dominated from start to finish, never trailing and holding LA to under 100 points despite stars like LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Luka Dončić. The performance silenced doubters, and postgame, Durant pointed to one player as the catalyst.
That player? Tari Eason.
The 22-year-old forward, in the final year of his rookie-scale contract ($16.2 million), has been a Rockets success story over three seasons—mostly as a high-energy bench contributor with just 21 career starts entering the year. With a loaded starting lineup, Eason began the season on the bench. But with the team reeling, Udoka elevated him to the starting five on Christmas Day.
The impact was immediate and undeniable. Eason scored the game’s first points on a corner three, then picked off an inbound pass from Dončić for an easy dunk just a minute later. His relentless motor and defensive versatility set the tone for a dominant win.
Durant, the two-time NBA champion and former MVP, didn’t hold back in his praise. “He just changed the whole vibe,” KD said. “An insane defender who can guard one through five, great hands, can shoot it, and making plays.” He even joked about Eason needing to get used to starter’s minutes to build up his lung capacity.
Eason himself was direct when asked about wanting to stay in the starting lineup full-time: “Yes. Yes I do.”
The numbers back up the hype. This season, Eason is averaging 11.5 points and 5 rebounds in just 22.5 minutes per game, shooting over 50% from the field and from three—ultra-efficient production. His two-way impact has been a quiet strength for the Rockets, and the Christmas performance showed what happens when he’s unleashed in a bigger role.
With the win, Houston improved to 18-10 and climbed back into the Western Conference race. Udoka’s decision to trust Eason paid immediate dividends, and Durant’s endorsement suggests the coaching staff may keep him in the starting five moving forward.
For a team that started the season red-hot and stumbled briefly, Eason’s emergence could be the spark that reignites their contender status. The Rockets have depth, star power with Durant, and now an unsung hero ready to step up. The West is wide open—and Houston is back on track.