Rockets Host Knicks in First Home Game in Weeks
Finally Fresh. Last on the List. Keeping Pace.
It’s Christmas in February for the Rockets as the New York Knicks come to town on Monday night. Houston hasn’t played a home game in 13 days due to the All-Star break. The squad returns home looking to take advantage of one of the NBA’s worst teams, one the Rockets have feasted on over the past decade-plus. Houston has won 26 of the 28 past matchups with New York, and this season should provide similar results for the Rockets. The Knicks are near the bottom of the standings, an all-too-familiar place for New Yorkers. Houston should have no problem dispatching the NBA’s worst team over the past decade.
For the first time all season, the Rockets have no injuries on their injury report. The squad is fresh, and against a bad Knicks team, garbage time could be looming if the Rockets continue to keep their foot on the gas. New York is the only team Houston hasn’t played yet this season, but that changes starting Monday as the Rockets play the Knicks twice in their next four games. The Knicks’ Elfrid Payton is questionable. New York’s starting point guard has put up productive numbers, as has Julius Randle, someone who could give Houston trouble inside if the Rockets are lazy. Other than that, the Knicks are one of the worst teams for a reason. There’s no reason New York should come into Houston and get a victory at Toyota Center. With Russ’ contagious, frenetic energy, it’s hard to see the Rockets losing to this Knicks team at this point in the season. Although, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and P.J. Tucker attended the Kobe Bryant memorial service in Los Angeles today. They’ll take a flight back to Houston to be ready before tip. Hopefully, a day of traveling won’t throw the Rockets most valuable big three out of sync.
Houston needs to keep pace with the Nuggets and Clippers, the two teams ahead of them for the second and third seeds out West. The Lakers have a sizable lead on the top seed, with an eight-game edge over the Rockets for first at the moment. However, the second spot is more than attainable for the Houston. With 26 games remaining, the Rockets have plenty of time to finish strong down the stretch and pass Denver and the Clips in the standings for that second spot. In a perfect world, entering the playoffs, Denver falls to third, and the Clippers to fourth. The way L.A.’s less-popular team has been playing, that scenario is very possible. This would result in a Lakers-Clippers second round matchup. Meaning Houston only has to play one of the L.A. behemoths in the playoffs. And for the Rockets… that would feel like Christmas.
Toyota Center: Houston Texas
Jersey Colors:
New York Knicks (17-39): Blue
Houston Rockets (36-20): Red
TV: 7 PM CT – AT&T Sportsnet SW