Rockets Host Celtics as the Champs Come to Town
Championship Test. No Terror. Big Question.
After snapping out of their brief two-game funk, the Rockets will face one of their toughest tests of the season on Friday night. The defending champion Boston Celtics come to town as Houston aims to beat Head Coach Ice Udoka’s former team from a few seasons ago. The Rockets are coming off a relatively easy win over the Mavs on Wednesday night. Tonight’s game is the second of a back-to-back for the Celtics, as Boston beat the Timberwolves, 118-115, in Minnesota last night. So Houston will at least have the rest and home-court advantage heading into this matchup. Jayson Tatum is off to another great start to the season. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are also lethal threats on the perimeter for Boston.
For only the second time all season, the Rockets will be without both of their “Terror Twins” in tonight’s game. Houston could really use the Twins against this very talented Celtics team that boasts a lot of depth on the perimeter. Amen Thompson will be serving the final part of his two-game suspension tonight, and Tari Eason will miss his eight straight game, and the tenth out of his last twelve matchups. Eason continues to deal with lower leg injury management, and as the coaching staff stresses the injury is nothing serious, the concern only grows the more time Eason remains out. The Rockets weren’t the same team after Eason suffered a season-ending injury about a quarter way through last year’s campaign. Hopefully, this injury is nothing serious, and Eason will be back soon. Houston needs him to beat the best teams like these Celtics.
Last year’s NBA Finals MVP and All-Star Jaylen Brown is questionable tonight for Boston. And it’s one of the biggest questions entering this matchup on Friday night. The Celtics are still deep enough to beat just about anyone without Brown, as they displayed in their victory in Minnesota last night. However, if Brown’s in the lineup, these wounded Rockets won’t have much of a chance to pull off the upset. Although, Houston always plays hard, The Rockets have really only suffered one blowout loss all season (in Oklahoma City to the Thunder). Ime Udoka will have his troops ready to face his former team tonight. Expect an exiting game tonight at Toyota Center. Houston should have enough weapons to at least make this matchup competitive… a win would be an added bonus for these Rockets, who will be playing the fourth leg of this five-game homestand tonight.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Boston Celtics (25-9): White
Houston Rockets (22-11): Red
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass