Rockets, Invite Knicks to Town on Second Night of Back-to-Back
Part 2. Handling Randle. Revolutions.
Well, it’s part two of the Rockets weekend back-to-back in Houston, as the squad hosts the New York Knicks on Sunday night. The Rockets are coming off a beatdown courtesy of Steph Curry and the Warriors omg Saturday night. Houston held a six-point edge at the half, but a twelve point this quarter combined with Curry’s explosion led to the meltdown.
Meanwhile, part two of this back-back presents even more challenges. With Julius Randle, New York’s best player, and a contender for Most Improved Player, is an absolute force in the plaint. Christian Wood and Kelly Olynyk have to be in sync if they have any chance of slowing down the beast of fury that is Randle, a man with no regard for human life when he’s on the court. Knicks’ guard R.J. Barrett has also been on fire from the perimeter. Houston needs to focus their defense on Barrett and Randle if they have any interest of winning tonight’s tilt.
Last season, you could’ve flipped the switch on these two opponents. The Rockets were playoff bound, with title hopes. Meanwhile, the Knicks, were the bottom feeders, and had been for at least a decade. But sometimes one guy can make a huge difference. And that’s why the Knicks, and not the Rockets (among many other reasons), are headed to the playoffs this season. Don’t be shocked when Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks Head Coach wins Coach of the Year this season. In his first season in New York, Thibs has turned the Knicks from a laughingstock into a team with a potentially bright future. And now Houston’s the laughingstock of the lead, the bottom-feeders. Good news is the Rockets have more up their sleeves than people realize, and the only direction is up… it may take some patience, but get ready for to launch.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
New York Knicks (35-28): White
Houston Rockets (16-48): “City Edition” Blue
TV: 7 PM CT – AT&T Sportsnet SW, NBA League Pass