Rockets Visit Philly, Face-Off Against Depleted 76ers
No Overlook. Fatigue Faces Fresh. Green’s Moment.
Coming off their best win of the season, a thrilling overtime victory in Minnesota last night, the Rockets visit the City of Brotherly Love for a matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. Mainly due to the absence of Joel Embiid, who has played in only a few games, the Sixers are off to a terrible start to the season. Philly currently boasts a 3-13 record, placing them in second-to-last place in the weak Eastern Conference. Embiid and fellow All-Star Paul George will both be out for tonight’s contest. Philly acquired PG13 in the offseason, but he recently suffered an injury a few games ago, and won’t play in this duel. Despite the missing stars, Philly has plenty of shooters, and they still have Tyrese Maxey, a Superstar in the making. Maxey can score 50 points on any given night, and will be the focal point of Houston’s defense.
Besides Maxey, the Sixers have rookie Jared McCain, who the Rockets should have drafted. McCain, out of Duke, is the best shooter so far in this rookie class. And he, along with the Lakers’ Dalton Knecht, are the leaders so far in the Rookie-of-the-Year race. McCain is a lights-out three-point shooter who is fearless. The guy Houston hoped Reed Sheppard would be, but sadly the Rockets’ rookie has severely underperformed to start his career. At this point, it’s time to consider benching him for Aaron Holiday, who has outperformed Sheppard in every aspect of the game this season. Hopefully Houston coach Ime Udoka realizes this, and with a 13-6 record, the Rockets have a chance to move into second in the West tonight if the Warriors lose to the Thunder. Which would be an incredible accomplishment 20 games into the season. Houston needs to focus on winning games, as they’ve proven they’re a much better team than anyone expected this season.
This is the second of a back-to-back for the Rockets. They’ll have tired legs compared to the Sixers, who’ve had two days to rest entering this matchup. Despite missing two of their All-Stars, Philly has enough shooters and young talent to beat Houston if the Rockets don’t take them seriously. They also have former Rockets in Eric Gordon and Kenyon Martin Jr., who will both be seeking revenge against their former team tonight. Expect to see a lot of the Terror Twins, that’s if Tari Eason is healthy. Eason only played 18 minutes last night after he left the game due to an injury. So far this season, Thompson and Eason lead the NBA in bench rebounds, at first and second, respectively. They are truly the best bench duo in the league, haunting defenders while wreaking havoc on opponents game plans. Now anyone has rest on this Rockets team it’s Jalen Green. He was benched in the fourth quarter for Amen Thompson, who played the remainder of the game, and was a key in sparking Houston’s comeback. Tonight is a great chance for Green to have a bounce-back performance against a depleted Sixers team. The Rockets could use a vintage Green game. As long as Houston doesn’t overlook Philly, they should win this match tonight. However, it’s the NBA. And if the Rockets don’t come out ready to play, and the Sixers are making their shots, Houston could have a problem on their hands. Expect a closer game than expected. Hopefully the Rockets have enough energy to get one more win before Thanksgiving. Regardless, Houston fans have a lot to be thankful for with one of the most exciting and promising teams rising back to prominence in the NBA.
Wells Fargo Center: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (13-6): Red
Philadelphia 76ers (3-13): White
Tip-Off: 6:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass