Rockets Aim to Snap Skid in Return Home, Host Knicks
Home to the Rescue. Big Return. Perimeter Defense.
Coming off an empty road trip, which saw the Rockets lose a season-high four straight games, Houston returns home to Toyota Center to host the New York Knicks on Monday night. The Rockets are a respectable 18-9 at home, compared to an embarrassing 5-20 on the road. And this Knicks team is heavily injured at the moment. All-Star Julius Randle and new-addition O.G. Anunoby are both out with injuries for tonight’s contest.
Alperen Sengun returns to the lineup for Houston after missing his first game of the season in the previous loss to Atlanta. Sengun should have his hands full battling Isaiah Hartenstein and Precious Achiuwa in the paint. The two bigs for New York are two of the league’s more underrated role players. The Knicks have been on a roll, but with their recent injuries they’ve struggled lately, losing three of their past four games. Houston needs to take advantage of a limping New York squad tonight, and put the Knicks away early by getting off to a fast start. They’ll have to put four quarters together to get the victory tonight, something we haven’t seen from the Rockets in several games.
All season, Houston has performed much better at home, as evidenced by their record at Toyota Center. They shoot the three-point shot with more confidence and efficiency and also play harder defense at home. Expect the Rockets to be fired up by the home fans as they return to the friendly confines of Toyota Center, aiming to snap a season-high four-game skid.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
New York Knicks (33-20): Blue
Houston Rockets (23-29): Red
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass