Rockets Visit Cleveland for Rematch with Cavaliers
Round Two. Toughest Road. Contender Test.
Houston begins a brutally tough four-game road trip on Saturday night as they visit Cleveland for a rematch with the Cavaliers. The Rockets won the first meeting between these squads, 109-108, in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night in Houston. Since, the Rockets have had two days off. Meanwhile, the Cavs lost last night in Philly, 132-129, to 76ers. So tonight’s matchup is a back-to-back for Cleveland, with Houston having a major rest advantage. Will that be enough for the Rockets to beat this tough Cavs team twice in a row? We’ll find out soon enough.
Cleveland has now lost two straight games, and the Cavs are 3-4 over their last seven games. Despite the loss, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland had improved performances in Philly compared to Houston. Expect the Cavaliers to be hungry to break their skid tonight. Boasting a 21-2 record at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cavs are the best home team in the league. It will be mightily impressive if the Rockets can beat the Cavs twice in a row, especially in Cleveland.
After subpar games in the first matchup between these teams, look for the Cavs backcourt to bounce back tonight, especially Mitchell. The All-Star Starter scored only 19 points in Houston’s win on Wednesday. If the Rockets want any chance to win this game tonight, they need to play an almost perfect game. Houston won’t be able to survive any collapses in Cleveland. And to make news worse, the Cavs may be getting Evan Mobley, one of their key contributors in the pain, back tonight from injury. At the moment, he’s still listed as questionable for tonight’s matchup.
If the Rockets can stay within striking distance of Cleveland, they have a shot at pulling off the upset. An efficient shooting performance from the entire team will also be necessary if Houston wants to start this road trip with a win. Tonight’s matchup will be one of the toughest tests for this young Rockets team all season long. This contest is a measuring stick of sorts, potentially determining if this Houston team is truly a title contender, or just another playoff team. The result will certainly reveal a lot about who these Rockets really are. Expect another close and exciting game in Cleveland as Houston aims to pull off their toughest win of the season tonight.
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse: Cleveland, Ohio
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (29-14): White
Cleveland Cavaliers (36-8): Maroon
Tip-Off: 6:30 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass