Red-Hot Rockets Host Hobbled 76ers in Homestand Finale
Seeking Seventh Heaven. Undermanned Sixers. Maintain Focus.
The Rockets close out their longest homestand of the season with a Monday night St. Patrick’s Day showdown with the depleted Philadelphia 76ers. Houston is rolling, currently riding a season-high six game winning streak entering tonight’s matchup. The Sixers are coming off a win over the NBA’s other heavily undermanned team (the Dallas Mavericks) yesterday afternoon. And the Rockets currently find themselves in a battle for the second spot in the Western Conference. Houston holds the second seed, with the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Memphis Grizzlies only a game or less behind.
These Sixers will be even more undermanned than when the Rockets recently walloped a heavily-wounded Mavericks team on Friday night. Philly will have a whopping 11 players out in this game due to injury. Other than Quentin Grimes, the starting lineup will be mainly unrecognizable players from the G-League. Grimes has flourished since coming to the Sixers, and he’s reveled the most in increased playing time due to Philly’s copious amount of injuries. As long as the Rockets can keep Grimes in check, they should be able to beat this Sixers team. Even if Grimes has a huge game, there’s no reason for Houston to lose to a bad team with a ridiculous amount of injuries. Amen Thompson will remain out tonight for the Rockets, but he’s close to returning from his injury, according to Head Coach Ime Udoka.
Houston is aiming to extend their season-high winning streak to seven games with a win tonight. And the Rockets have no excuse to lose this game, as the Sixers barely have enough players to participate in the match. However, as evidenced in their previous win over the Bulls on Saturday night, Houston has had the unfortunate nature of overlooking bad teams at points during this season. Despite all their injuries, Philly still has professionals who are fighting and auditioning for future playoff time, whether it be with the Sixers or other potential suitors. Anything can happen in the NBA, especially if the Rockets don’t come out with energy and can’t maintain focus. Hopefully Houston is ready to close out this homestand with a victory, which would make this a perfect home stretch for the Rockets, and extend their winning streak to seven games.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Philadelphia 76ers (23-44): Red
Houston Rockets (43-25): “City Edition” White
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass