The Houston Rockets return to the NBA playoffs this weekend for the first time since 2020.

Why it matters: Houston's postseason appearance is the culmination of years of rebuilding amid a season of high expectations.

Driving the news: The Rockets (52-30) face a familiar foe in the Golden State Warriors (48-34) on Sunday at Toyota Center in the first game of a best-of-seven series.

• Houston, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, has home-court advantage over No. 7 seed Golden State.
• The Warriors won three of five games against the Rockets during the regular season, and oddsmakers have set the Rockets as the underdogs in the series.
• Golden State won a play-in game Tuesday to advance to the playoffs.

The intrigue: Tilman Fertitta — the potential Italian ambassador/billionaire who owns the Rockets — placed high expectations on the team this season after dumping millions into new player development facilities, signing promising young players and hiring head coach Ime Udoka to lead the team.

State of play: The matchup is a study in contrasts: The Rockets rank low in shooting efficiency and passing but make up for it with the best offensive rebounding percentage in the league. The Warriors share the ball and have some good 3-point shooters.

What they're saying: "When we're on point and pay attention to the details and play hard, we're one of the best teams in the NBA," starting guard Jalen Green told the Houston Chronicle ahead of the playoffs.

Flashback: The Rockets outperformed every Western Conference team this season except for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who lost only 14 games.

• Houston finished with the fourth-best record in the entire league.
• They also made a run in the mid-season NBA Cup tournament but fell to the Thunder in the semifinals.

What's next: The series winner advances to the conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers or Minnesota Timberwolves.

How to watch: Sunday's tipoff is at 8:30pm on TNT and Space City Home Network.

• Tickets start at $112.

Rockets fans were ready for liftoff this season, helping return home-game attendance to near pre-pandemic levels as the team heads to the NBA playoffs this weekend.

Why it matters: The numbers show how Rockets fans have stayed faithful despite the team rebuilding during a four-year playoff drought.

Driving the news: Attendance was 716,853 over 41 home games at Toyota Center during the 2024-25 regular season, according to ESPN numbers.

• Houston's home attendance ranked 20th among 30 NBA teams.

Zoom in: The Chicago Bulls led the pack with 825,659 in attendance for 41 home games.

• The Atlanta Hawks — who play their final regular season game Friday — had the lowest attendance with 657,613 through 40 games.

Flashback: Recent Rockets home game attendance peaked in the 2018-19 season at 740,392.

• Since then, attendance fluctuated — from 638,977 in the 2021-22 season following the pandemic to 720,045 in 2023-24.

The bottom line: Don't sleep on Houston.

From pro sports to theme parks, Houston residents are hungry for more ways to spend their free time, per a new survey by the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs.

Why it matters: When it comes to things to do, the city trails the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which already has both Women's National Basketball Association and National Hockey League teams — plus one major theme park and another under construction. Houston has none.

Driving the news: Six in 10 Houstonians said they're either very or somewhat enthusiastic about bringing a WNBA team back to the city.

• Almost as many (57%) are very or somewhat enthusiastic about having an NHL team, per the survey.

The survey, conducted March 29-April 4, includes responses from about 1,400 registered Houston voters and has a margin of error of ± 2.62%. It builds on an earlier report about city services and quality of life.

Stunning stat: Almost two-thirds of respondents said they are enthusiastic about the possibility of a destination theme park opening in the area.

• More than half said they would visit such a theme park at least once a year.

What they're saying: "We found a strong interest among Houstonians for getting out and being active," Renée Cross, researcher and senior executive director of the Hobby School, said in a statement.

• "The support for more entertainment and sporting options reflects this enthusiasm."

🗯️ Our thought bubble: Oh god, we can't be worse than Dallas.

More fun facts

🍎 Dozens of Houston ISD schools are at risk for measles outbreaks due to low vaccination rates. (Houston Landing)

🦅 A bald eagle injured after becoming snagged in fishing wire in the Neches River last month is recovering at the Houston SPCA. (Houston Public Media)

📖 More than 100 students will no longer be able to attend a literacy education summer camp because of President Trump's cut to DEI programs. (Houston Chronicle)

Toyota Center is ready to rock Sunday with a new playoff graphic out front featuring this year's squad.

Why it matters: The Rockets typically feature their players on the glass outside the arena's main entrance during the playoffs, but four years of missing postseason play meant that didn't happen for some time.

Now, our players will stare down fans once again as they head inside to catch the games.