Rockets Host Heat in Wade’s Final Houston Hurrah
Heating Up. Flash vs. Splash, Battle on the Glass. Consistency.
Superstars are consistent. They bring it every night. It’s one of the many attributes that separate the superstars from the All-Stars. The guys who get fairwell tours, from the guys who just, all of a sudden retire. Dwyane Wade has aged more gracefully than any superstar I’ve witnessed. Tonight, Wade brings his fairwell tour to Houston as the Rockets face off against the Heat. The protocol was to rest Chris Paul. Don’t let him play on back-to-back nights. Not tonight. Not against his good buddy Dwyane Wade. Paul will play tonight, but Houston suffered two setbacks last night. Shumpert and Faried sustained injuries in Charlotte and are not expected to play tonight. Nonetheless, the Rockets have enough firepower to get the job done. Clint Capela is coming off a monster game, Chris Paul is in a complete groove and has forcefully controlled the pace for Houston over the last 3 games. James Harden, who’s been struggling with his shot, is still James Harden. He’ll get his rhythm back. The Beard may have slightly cooled off, but the Rockets are heating up. Houston goes for its fourth straight win tonight. The Heat have lost 9 of 12 games, and are currently tenth in the East. Both teams played last night, so their will be plenty of tired legs on the floor. However, the Rockets are 12-1 at home on the second night of a back-to-back. Miami is coming off their most emotional win of the season, a thrilling last second victory over Golden State. Houston will try and put Miami away early. Despite the 3-game winning streak, the Rockets have lost leads of 15 or more in each game. Gaining and keeping the upper hand is something Houston needs to work on, as they continuously let teams hang around. Tonight the Rockets have a chance to blowout a tired Heat team. It won’t be easy, as Houston is playing their third game in 4 nights.
Miami’s emotional win cam via one of the craziest buzzer beaters I’ve ever seen. Dwyane Wade hit a difficult, awkward shot from beyond the arc as the buzzer sounded. The celebration that followed was a sight to behold. Miami should still satisfied with their crazy win last night, giving the Rockets a chance to pounce on them early. Eric Gordon will primarily be on Dwayne Wade tonight. Flash has shown he can still play, despite this being his last season. Splash Gordon will need to make Wade work on both ends to try and tire out the future Hall-of-Famer. The matchup inside will be key to tonight’s matchup. Capela is going up against a group of bigs in the mold of Cody Zeller, who he faced in Charlotte last night. Bam Adebayo is an energy guy similar to Faried and is a great rebounded. Kelly Olynk has quietly played well for the Heat all season. Miami’s best big man, Hassan Whiteside, is out with an injury, but so is Faried for Houston. Clint Capela will need some help on the glass tonight if the Rockets want to make it 4 in a row.
At 37, Wade’s having a respectable season for someone playing past the age when many retire. Many are questioning if he should hang up his jersey for good, as he looks to have plenty left in the tank. But Wade’s going out his way. In style. And last night’s shot to beat the Champs will go down as one of the best plays of this entire regular season. The Rockets can only hope their future Hall-of-Famers (Harden, Paul) can age like Wade as they mature as players, and battle the unbeatable father time. For now, the Rockets’ two stars have more than enough left in the tank to lead the Rockets on a late-season surge up the standings. Houston’s problem all season, besides health, has been consistency. The Rockets haven’t strung 4 wins in a row in a long time, and it’s been a rarity this season. They’ve got a great chance to build on their streak tonight. Maybe they take a cue from Wade. It’s time to channel some of that superstar consistency.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Miami Heat (27-33): White
Houston Rockets (36-25): Black
TV: 7 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW