Unbrotherly Love: Rockets Seek Seventh Straight Win, Sixers Come to Town
Trust the Progress. Board Battle. Moving Forward.
“It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” The iconic line from Rocky, filmed in Philadelphia, hits home when looking at the Rockets this season. On Friday night, Houston hosts Philadelphia at Toyota Center. The Rockets aim to get their seventh straight win tonight. Houston’s seemed to turn a corner at this point in the season. James Harden, Chris Paul and co. have figured something out. The Rockets always knew they’d be fine. It’s been a rocky season. They’ve been hit hard. Injuries. New teammates. Blown leads after blown leads. But Mike D’Antoni, Harden, and Paul were confident all along. After starting 11-14, Houston has gone 28-11, the best record in the West. The Rockets can only trust that their roster will stay healthy. It’s the ultimate key to Houston progressing towards their goal of the title. They’ll see if they can keep that progress going against a Sixers team that’ll be without Joel Embiid.
The All-Star was a huge part of Philly’s win in the previous matchup. Clint Capela didn’t play in that game for Houston. But he’ll he be manning the paint tonight. The last game between these teams was especially chippy. Embiid had a lot to do with that. Still, the Rockets are looking to get revenge on a Sixers team that beat them handily weeks ago. Kenneth Faried remains out for Houston, along with Iman Shumpert. Embiid is always a matchup issue for the Rockets. His absence is an open invitation to take care of the one of the better teams in the East. Look for Clint Capela to have a monster game tonight. The Sixers have lost 2 of 3 games, and are coming off a nail-biting loss to lowly Chicago. Philly still has plenty of talent in Ben Simmons (questionable for tonight), Jimmy Butler, and Tobias Harris. J.J. Reddick also seems to never miss when playing Houston. The rebounding battle is vastly important in this game. Houston is 62-8 since last season when outrebounding their opponent. They’ve got a better opportunity than ever with Embiid sidelined due to injury.
Who thought we’d be here? The Rockets, going for their 7th straight win. A streak that’s included wins over some of the NBA’s elite (Warriors, Raptors, Celtics). It seems like it was only days ago people were questioning if Houston would even make the playoffs. Now, everyone wants to get on the bandwagon. The Rockets are rolling. Turns out, all those injuries, roster turnover, and early season adversity, wasn’t a good thing. It was a great thing. Last season, Houston strolled through the regular season like it was a cakewalk. And yes, they probably would have won, had Chris Paul been healthy. But last year’s Rockets team didn’t get hit much at all in the regular season. They say whatever doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger. In basketball, adversity makes the best teams stronger. Champions manage adversity, and use it to their advantage. When the Rockets got hit by the Warriors last year, they ultimately couldn’t deliver the final blow. They were shell-shocked. They hadn’t experienced how dire sequences of a season can pull a team together. On and off the court. This Rockets team is a closer-knit unit than any team before, despite the new faces. Houston’s adversity has paid off this season. They were hit hard with injuries, but playing time and new roles opened up, creating a deeper roster for the Rockets in the playoffs. Most importantly, this squad is the toughest Rockets team I’ve ever witnessed. Tonight, the Rockets might get hit hard throughout the game. They could go down early, or blow a Rocket-style lead. But they’ll hit back, this group’s learned from their mistakes. The playoffs are shaping up to be one of the most intriguing postseasons in NBA history. The West is, of course, loaded. The East is a battle of four top-heavy teams. But in reality, we all know who the two best teams are. They’ll meet again. And when they do… this time, Houston can take a hard hit. They’ve got their own Hardened Warrior to keep them moving forward.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Philadelphia 76ers (41-24): White
Houston Rockets (39-25): Black
TV: 7 PM CT – ESPN & ATT Sportsnet SW