Rockets Try and Shake Slow Start in WC Semifinals Rematch
The Houston Rockets return home to Toyota Center as a much different group than the one who took the court on Opening Night a week ago. A lot can happen in an NBA week. Throw in the team that should have won last year’s Championship visibly still upset over last-season, and you’re bound to have incidents. But not many can honestly say they predicted this sort of start, despite the reasonably difficult early schedule. A blowout loss at home that felt worse than the final score depicted, LBJ’s home debut being overshadowed by another teammates spittle, brawls (old-school fisticuffs in a nod to the throwback days in the NBA, where heated rivalries led to temper –flaring incidents, that would often result in bizarre scenarios, such as Jeff Van Gundy holding onto Alonzo Mourning’s leg for dear life), another loss to THESE Clippers. The good news is that it’s still early on in the season, with only 3 games in the books, the Rockets have plenty of time to right the ship with the playoffs still months away. The bad news is, the infamous Rockets Injury Bug has already made its presence felt well throughout the roster (Ennis, Nene, Chriss, the list does go on… this is the RIB we’re talking about here, I realize all teams are affected by injuries, but I have yet to see anything rival the RIB’s tendency to show up at the WORST of times), not to mention Chris Paul’s ejection for making contact with disgraced spittle. Things aren’t going to get any easier as the Utah Jazz roll into town intent on avenging last season’s second round playoff exit at the hands of the Rockets. Worse yet, Utah is coming off their worst loss of the season, at home to a Memphis Grizzlies team that’s slowly moving from contender to rebuilder. Last year’s true rookie of the year Donovan Mitchell hasn’t even shown up yet with poor shooting. Without CP3 and James Ennis’ defense on the perimeter, Mitchell could be in line for his best game of the young season if the Rockets don’t start communicating better on the defensive end. Look out for Joe Ingles, the Aussie sharpshooter who seems to make it his seasonal mission to have his best shooting games in Houston. With all these injuries the Rockets need players to step up on the perimeter, specifically Michael Carter-Williams, who has been nothing short of a human disaster on the basketball court, Eric Gordon, who hopefully will find his shot, and the heralded Carmelo Anthony, who still looks like a deer in headlights in the Rockets system. Clint Capela needs to step his game up as well. After getting paid like the All-Star many expect him to be this year, he has a great chance to make his mark and have an early season statement game against the Stifle Tower and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert. This is arguably the best team the Rockets have had to face yet, the Jazz should finish somewhere in the standings near New Orleans, who already had their way with the Rockets and then some on Opening Night at Toyota Center. The Jazz would love to do nothing more than make the Rockets fall to 0-2 at home, especially after they were ousted by the Houston in the Western Conference Semifinals last season. Hopefully, the Rockets will be motivated and angry from their previous loss, and will try and win their first home game for CP3 before he returns on Friday when the Rockets face a familiar early season foe, the Clippers. First, they must tune out the Jazz and get back to business by running as one.
Toyota Center – Houston, Texas
7 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet