Rockets Battle Kings as Road Trip Ends
The Young and the Restless. Contenders vs. Pretenders. Best Show on Court.
James Harden takes his Rockets into Sacramento on Wednesday night for a tussle on the Kings’ court. Houston looks to close out their 4-game road trip strong with a victory in Sac-Town. The Kings are one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season. Sacramento boasts an array of young, talented players, who are starting to come into their own at the professional level. De’Aaron Fox might be the fastest player in the entire NBA. The Kings’ point guard is having a breakout sophomore year, and is hard to contain in transition. Sacramento also boasts Marvin Bagley III, who is coming off a solid double-double in their previous game. Buddy Hield is in a groove this season, and Willie Cauley-Stein is starting to be a force in the paint for the Kings. Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of the best 6th men in the league, and a sharpshooter. Houston needs to keep their eyes on Bogie and Buddy on the perimeter. Despite all the Kings’ potential, they should be no match for the Rockets, who are seeking their third straight win on the road.
Tonight’s matchup pits one of the NBA’s rising teams, the Kings, against one of the NBA’s elite, the Rockets. Houston’s still dealing with injury problems, but they’ve managed to stay afloat in the brutal West, despite all the bumps and bruises. When healthy, the Rockets are the most lethal contenders to Golden State’s throne. Sacramento has a promising young core, led by Fox, but they’re seasons away from being Kings of the NBA. Sacramento are pretenders at the moment, on the outside looking in at the playoffs. The postseason will eventually be in the Kings’ future, just not yet. Houston aims to show Sacramento what NBA royalty looks like, despite missing Capela. The Rockets need to bring the same level of focus they played with in Utah to get a victory over a hungry Kings team.
Only 4 games remain until the All-Star break. While, the Rockets aren’t at full strength yet, closing the last 4 games with wins would be a huge boost for the squad’s confidence. It starts tonight, but the Rockets need to be ready. If Houston comes out sleepwalking, they could be in trouble early in Sacramento. The Kings have won 3 in a row and 4 of their last 5, including snapping San Antonio’s 5-game winning streak on Monday. Sacramento is only one game out of playoff spot. But it’s not their time. Not yet. The Rockets will try to push the Kings back in their seat in the 9th spot in the standings. Look for Kenneth Faried to have another big game in the paint and on the glass for Houston. The Manimal’s been on fire. Oh, and The Unguardable Tour is still playing in arenas nationwide. And the Best Show on Court isn’t coming to an end anytime soon.
Golden 1 Center: Sacramento, California
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (31-22): White
Sacramento Kings (28-25): Purple
TV: 9 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW