Entering tonight's matchup at Sacramento, the Rockets are just ahead of Portland for the coveted fourth seed in the Western Conference and just behind San Antonio for the No. 3 seed.

"It's important for us to try and get that home-court advantage in the playoffs in the first round," guard Von Wafer said. "That's going to make a difference. We've just got to try to win the remainder of these games because we play a lot better when we are here at home. I don't know what it is, if it is the fans and the energy. We need to try to duplicate what we do here on the road."

The Kings are lousy, carrying a five-game losing streak and an NBA-worst 16-61 record into the game. The Warriors (28-49) aren't much better, but the Rockets are approaching these games as anything but layups.

The Rockets are 18-20 on the road this season and just 4-12 in their last 16 games in Sacramento.

"I think if we were in a different situation and we weren't fighting for seeding, I'd say yes," Rockets forward Shane Battier said when asked if his team could be set up for a letdown.

"But we're fighting for playoff seeding, we're fighting for home court in the first round, so we have a lot to play for. I don't think it will be difficult to get up for those two games."

The Rockets, who are a combined 5-0 against the Kings and Warriors this season, have lost three in a row on the road - all to playoff hopefuls in Utah, Phoenix and the Los Angeles Lakers - and didn't play well in spurts.

"We just lost two road games against teams that are over .500, but now we've got another test to see how good we respond," said forward Ron Artest, who's making a return to Sacramento to face his former team. "We have big games coming up."

Three of the Rockets' final four games will come away from Toyota Center, beginning tonight at ARCO Arena and Friday at Golden State. The Rockets play New Orleans at home Monday before closing the season at Dallas on April 15.

"Looks like the last four are going to be crucial," Adelman said. "You just have to keep winning and you don't know where you're going to finish or how you're going to finish, so all you can do is win your own games.

"We've got to go into Sacramento with the idea we have to play a solid game. They're playing loose and easy and trying to finish out, and that's a dangerous team, especially when you're playing on the road."

Adelman admits the Rockets might have to win out to keep home-court advantage in the rugged Western Conference, and even if they do they likely will have to win on the road in the playoffs at some point to advance past the first round for the first time since 1997.

With that in mind, Battier said the Rockets simply need to build some road confidence heading into the postseason - no matter the opponent.

"We need to get some mojo on the road going," he said. "We've played two poor road games last week against Phoenix and L.A., and we want to go on this road trip with the mindset to play well on the road."

brian.mctaggart@chron.com