Rockets Aim to Advance in Tournament, Visit Mavericks
The Marbles. Road Hunting. Backcourt Nightmare.
If it feels like the Rockets haven’t had a game of this magnitude since the James Harden era, it’s because they haven’t. On Tuesday night, Houston travels to Dallas in search of their first road win of the season. The Rockets are 0-5 on the road, as opposed to a dominant 8-1 start at home. On the bright side, Houston’s faced tough competition on the road so far this season. They’ve battled both L.A. teams, the Golden State Warriors, and an Orlando Magic team who is the surprise of the Eastern Conference so far. The Rockets also lost a tough overtime thriller in their second game to the San Antonio Spurs. Besides the opener in Orlando, all of Houston’s road games have been competitive, and many have gone down to the final minute. And their circumstances aren’t getting any easier.
After tonight, the Rockets head to Denver to face a Nuggets team they’ve already beaten twice. Back-to-backs are tough. Even more so when playing in the Rocky Mountain altitude. And especially when facing the hungry and revengeful defending champs. Denver is determined to avoid what would be a sweep by Houston if the Rockets can beat the Nuggets in the season-series finale on Wednesday night. After that game, Houston heads to L.A. to face LeBron and the Lakers for the third time. L.A.’s been playing considerably better since getting blown out by the Rockets in their first matchup earlier this season. Tonight’s road matchup has the most on the line, but tomorrow night in Denver against the champs will be the toughest to win, as it’s also the second part of a back-to-back. So if Houston can’t get a win in Dallas on Tuesday night, their road woes could continue for a while.
Tonight, the Rockets battle a Mavericks team that’s off to a 10-6 start to the season. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving compose arguably the best backcourt in the entire league. Both All-Star guards are headaches for opponents, and Houston’s perimeter defense needs to retain their discipline if they want to slow down one of the NBA’s most lethal duos. Dallas also has seasoned veteran, and experienced Rocket-Killer, in Tim Hardaway Jr. The lethal shooting veteran always seems to score at least 25 points when he faces Houston.
The Rockets are hoping to earn a spot in the In-Season Tournament’s knockout round. A victory tonight over the Mavs would punch Houston’s ticket to the quarterfinals. This battle isn’t “for all the marbles”, but it’s as close to a playoff game as the Rockets have had in nearly four years. Dallas has already been eliminated from the knockout round. The Mavs boast a 1-2 record in group play after losses to the Nuggets and the Clippers. Regardless, this games counts in the standings just like any regular season match, as these squads continue their ultimate journey towards the playoffs, a place Dallas has expected to be since Doncic evolved into one of the game’s greatest players. For the Rockets, the playoffs were an afterthought for most spectators and NBA “experts” entering this season. However, Houston’s early season run is starting to turn heads and put the league on notice. Get ready and strap up your boots for a Texas face-off in a game unlike any we’ve witnessed in regular season history.
American Airlines Center: Dallas, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (8-6): White
Dallas Mavericks (10-5): “City Edition” Black
Tip-Off: 7:30 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass