Rockets Aim for Different Result, Face Kings in Rematch
Double Down. Dangerous Duo. Respecting the Bird.
It’s not exactly a golden ticket or the hottest show on the NBA calendar, but the Rockets face the Kings for the second straight game in Sacramento. Sunday’s matinee tip is a rematch of Friday night’s up-and-down tilt, a contest that slid in the Kings’ favor. Houston looks to improve in the rematch. They’ll need to do a better job containing De’Aaron Fox and especially Marvin Bagley. Bags had the game of his life on Friday, and if Houston doesn’t double down on Sacramento’s center, the Rockets could be in for more trouble on Sunday.
Fox and Bagley combined for 53 points on Friday night. Houston needs to make other Sacramento players beat them if they want a shot at winning the rematch. Alperen Sengun should be better after having a game under his belt after returning from an injury that caused him to miss seven games. Maybe an improved Sengun down low will make the difference? Christian Wood and Eric Gordon, Houston’s two hottest trade targets for other teams, have played well as they continue to boost their stock. The Rockets need a few other guys, besides Jae’Sean Tate, to join the exclusive “playing with a purpose” party. Tate’s been tremendous in the last couple of games, seemingly doing everything on both sides of the floor.
As the February 10th trade deadline gets nearer, Houston now has only one player on the entire roster who’s not eligible to be traded: Garrison Matthews. Garry Bird has struggled in the last two games, going scoreless over that stretch. Matthews will look to bounce back on Sunday, and prove he’s too important to be included in a deal. Regardless, Matthews didn’t sign his contract with the Rockets until December. Due to other players contractual restrictions or lack thereof, Garry Bird is the only player on the Rockets who fans can be 100% sure won’t be traded before the deadline.
It’s tough to beat the same team in back-to-back games. Houston is 1-1 in these situations after playing the same team in the previous game. The Rockets aim to improve that mark to 2-1, before they head off to close this road trip with two straight games against brutal competition, Utah and Golden State.
Golden 1 Center: Sacramento, California
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (12-32): Red
Sacramento Kings (18-27): Black
Tip-Off: 5 PM CT
TV: AT&T Sportsnet SW, NBA League Pass