Run It Back: Rockets, Kings, Square-Off Again in H-Town
Part Two. Back At It. Deja Vu.
After the Rockets beat the Kings on New Year’s Eve, Houston and Sac-Town tussle for the second-straight time at Toyota Center on Saturday afternoon. The Rockets will try and make it two straight victories, over the same team, in the same building. Part One was close, nail-biting down the stretch, and don’t expect much difference in Part Two. James Harden and John Wall are still learning tom play with each other, and Christian Wood, along with DeMarcus Cousins, is finding his spot in the offense. Ja’Sean Tate’s energy has been infectious throughout Houston’s first trio of games. The Rockets need to continue to feed off Tate’s energy as a unit, and burst out of the gates and give Houston a chance to build a lead.
The Kings will be without their stud rookie, Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered a hard fall on Thursday night, but everyone else will be back on the court for Sacramento. Houston has to do a better job of guarding Buddy Hield on the perimeter, and stopping De’Aaron Fox’s penetration inside. It’s easier said than done, but those are the Kings’ two most lethal players. If the Rockets can contain Fox and Hield, Houston should be able to make it two victories in a row on Saturday.
James Harden and company are back to what they’re most familiar with in the regular season, winning. The squad will hope for some deja vu on Saturday afternoon, expect a game that’s not as close down the stretch. After a hellish 2020 (especially for Houston), it would be nice to start 2021 with a victory. Houston has the healthier roster, is a more talented team, and is once again playing at home. There’s no reason the Rockets should lose this game, unless Houston doesn’t bring the required level of energy for a professional basketball game. And we’ve seen that many times in the past, with the Rockets playing down to their competition, just not with this unit. Let’s pray Houston keeps it up, and take down in the Kings in more dominant fashion, for their second-straight time in Saturday afternoon’s matinee affair.
Toyota Center: Houston Texas
Jersey Colors:
Sacramento Kings (3-2): White
Houston Rockets (1-2): Red
TV: 4 PM CT – NBATV, AT&T Sportnet SW