Rockets Aim to Regroup on the Road, Battle Sixers in Philly
The Hateful Eight. Brotherly Bonding. Escaping Embiid.
After a nightmarish home stand, the Rockets look to regroup as they hit the road for a couple of matchups out East. Tonight, Houston travels to Philadelphia to face Joel Embiid and the Sixers. Philly has won three straight games, all on the road, coming into Monday’s matchup. Meanwhile, the Rockets are seeking to snap a seven-game losing streak. Houston will be without Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood tonight. The pair childishly refused to behave like professionals in the Rockets’ loss on Saturday. KPJ almost attacked John Lucas, one of the most respected assistants in basketball. If a player in this league can’t accept coaching from Lucas, they have an attitude problem. Wood, who’s name was always floating around in the trade rumor mills, will now likely be certainly dealt, as it’s only a matter of when, not if, anymore. After being benched to start the game, Wood showed no desire to play hard, and refused to enter the second half. As for Scoot, Houston will likely see if KPJ can mature, but he’s on thin ice. One more incident from Porter Jr., and the Rockets will likely scoot him out the door.
Can the Rockets repair this seemingly new nightmare? A road game against the Sixers isn’t the best recipe for a win, but maybe Houston needed to get out of town. NBA teams bond far more on the road, when they’re all staying at the same hotel, as opposed to home games, where everyone just returns to their own residence after duty. Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love. Maybe a tough road win over one of the NBA’s hottest teams will put the Rockets back in-sync.
Monday night’s matchup will be a handful for Houston without Christian Wood and Alperen Sengun. Wood’s suspended and Sengun is still out with an ankle sprain. That means we’ll see a lot of Daniel Theis tonight, who’s played well when he’s gotten the chance. And he’s got a chance to try and frustrate one of the best big men in the game, Joel Embiid. The Sixers’ All-Star big scored 34 points in their last game, a road win over the title-favorite Nets. Theis has his hands full tonight, which means Houston needs to double and throw as many bodies as possible at Embiid. The Sixers’ center can become easily frustrated, so tough defense a la “Patrick Beverly meets P.J. Tucker” would be nice, although if that even exists, it’s not on this Rockets team. Houston also needs to be aware of Seth Curry, who’s having a career year for the Sixers. Garrison Matthews returns from health-and-safety protocols tonight. Hopefully the return of Garry Bird can boost Houston to play with more energy and less distractions. Matthews plays hard on every play like Jae’Sean Tate. Jalen Green’s been on an efficiency roll since returning from his hamstring injury. Will Matthews, Tate, and Green be enough to boost Houston past the Sixers in Philly? If Daniel Theis can have one of those throwback “Vanilla Theis” performances, the Rockets might shock some people by quieting the nightmare with a win. That’s a big “if”… literally.
Wells Fargo Center: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (10-27): White
Philadelphia 76ers (19-16): Red
Tip-Off: 6 PM CT
TV: AT&T Sportsnet SW, NBA League Pass