Fred VanVleet had another efficient game with 18 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 0 turnovers in Houston’s 115-108 victory (box score) over Golden State on Wednesday night.

With the win, the Rockets (9-3) rose to No. 3 in the tightly packed Western Conference standings. The Warriors (8-4) fell to No. 6 in the West and had an eight-game winning streak snapped.

It was a balanced attack from Houston, which didn’t have any player exceed 20 points. That type of approach often starts with VanVleet, the team’s veteran point guard.

“The ball was moving,” VanVleet said postgame. “We kind of understood how the Warriors would play us defensively, so it was important for us to spread things out and share the sugar a little bit.”

The Rockets had six players score in double figures, led by Durant (20 points); Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson (19 each); VanVleet (18); Jabari Smith Jr. (14); and Reed Sheppard (13). As a team, the Rockets shot an efficient 44-of-87 overall (50.6%), including 13-of-36 from 3-point range (36.1%).

VanVleet was among the most efficient, shooting 6-of-9 from the field (66.7%) and a blistering 4-of-7 from 3-point range (57.1%). The Rockets were +25 in his 30 minutes, best of any player on the floor.

Most importantly, though, Houston climbed the standings in a game it never trailed.

“The most important stat is winning and losing,” VanVleet said.

For VanVleet, 32, Wednesday’s showing builds on an encouraging start to his 2026-27 campaign. Now 10 games into his return season (he missed all of last season with a serious knee injury), VanVleet has posted shooting splits of 43.0% overall, 38.7% on 3-pointers, and 59.4% true shooting (TS).

Those numbers are all up significantly from 37.8%, 34.5%, and 51.5% in his previous playing season (2024-25).

Collectively, the Rockets are now 14.4 points better in net rating when VanVleet plays this season, a figure second to only Jabari Smith Jr. (25.7) among rotation players.

And what could be even more encouraging is the trend line. After shooting just 32.0% overall and 29.4% from 3-point range in his first three games — understandable rust after such a long layoff — VanVleet is at 46.3% and 41.4% over his last seven outings.

Ime Udoka, head coach of the Rockets, attributes much of that apparent transformation to a superior roster. When asked by Rockets Wire about VanVleet’s shooting bump, relative to his previous playing season, Udoka said:

For him, it’s (about) not having to do as much. He can play off the ball a little bit more and be a recipient. We do love him in the pick-and-roll, the decision-making and his walk-in threes are big. But a lot of those are playing off Alperen and Kevin and Amen, and he can just be able to catch and shoot, which he’s really good at.

Two years ago, Durant wasn’t yet on the roster and Thompson was in just his second NBA season. Sengun, meanwhile, was in the midst of a career-worst efficiency season of 54.5% TS (for comparison, the big man is at 58.7% this season).

In short, because the Rockets now have better scoring and playmaking options across the board, VanVleet isn’t having to take as many contested shots late in the shot clock. That, in turn, is boosting efficiency metrics for both the player and team. This season, Houston’s offensive rating (118.5) is No. 3 in the league, up from No. 12 two years ago.

In 2024-25, VanVleet averaged 69.1 touches per game, 6.86 seconds per touch, and 7.9 minutes per game with the ball in his hands. This season, those figures are down to 64.8 touches, 4.99 seconds, and 5.4 minutes, presumably a product of a deeper roster.

“We have a full group, and we’re not just relying on one person to get the job done,” VanVleet told reporters. “We have a complete team. We have a deep team. We have more shooting.”

Taking advantage of that depth requires a steady and calming floor general, which VanVleet very much still is. After posting 6 assists and 0 turnovers versus Golden State, VanVleet now owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.09 for the season, and he’s actually recorded more steals (13) than turnovers (11).

That combination of ball security and distribution has made for a much more diverse and efficient offense, which players such as Durant can benefit from.

“The more mixture we have in shot attempts and the less predictable we are... that’ll back off some of the pressure and the coverages that they’ve been throwing at us,” Durant said of opposing defenses. “I think more and more people are starting to realize that everybody’s a threat on the floor, and everybody’s looking to be aggressive.”

Defensively, it’s been more of a mixed bag for VanVleet, which is to be expected for a 6-foot-0 guard in his 30s coming off an ACL tear.

“I’m definitely getting tested early on in the season, so it’s great practice reps for me,” VanVleet said. “I’m not loving it so much right now, because I’m trying to get my knee right. But I usually hold my own on that end. I always compete.”

But the Rockets have superior defensive results with VanVleet on the floor, and Udoka attributes that to his toughness and versatility.

“He has a lot of pride, toughness, and experience with guarding up and down,” Udoka said when asked about VanVleet’s penchant for guarding and switching onto larger players. “I think teams underestimate that, just due to his height.”

“It’s impressive to see the way he’s attacking those challenges. Coming off the ACL, a lot of times the lateral movement and defense and those things could be behind shooting. But he’s still solid as ever and smart as ever. He’s got great hands, and that makes it tougher on guys than they think it will be.”

Udoka did caution that it will likely take a “little bit of time” for VanVleet to fully get his legs and rhythm back, particularly since he’s averaging 30 minutes per game.

Then again, that might offer the most encouragement of all. If VanVleet is already contributing to winning this early in the season, and with those limitations — how impactful can he be at closer to full strength?

“He’s looked really good ever since he ramped it up in the month leading into training camp,” Udoka told Rockets Wire. “The IQ, the experience, and all the things he does, it was all apparent right when he came back.”

For the Rockets, it’s apparent in the standings and the metrics, too.

“It feels like I haven’t missed a step,” VanVleet told ESPN. “It was a group effort (to return from injury). But now you’ve got to take the next step and keep progressing.”