Rockets Host Nuggets in Crucial In-Season Tournament Tilt
Tourney Time, Part 3. Upping the Stakes. Mountainous Challenge.
The Rockets resume their In-Season Tournament play, as they host the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Houston won the first matchup between these squads at Toyota Center, back on November 12th. Since then, the Nuggets have struggled. Denver has lost three of four games, and has gone 2-3 since falling to the Rockets in the first matchup. Tonight’s game, however, has a little more at stake. Friday night marks the third In-Season Tournament game for the Rockets. They essentially need to win on Friday, and then next Tuesday in Dallas, and Houston advances to the knockout stage. A task much easier said than done.
The Nuggets stroll into Houston hungry for revenge after losing their first tilt with the Rockets. Houston needs to be prepared for a disciplined Denver team who will try and pounce on them from the opening tip. If the Rockets can weather the Nuggets’ early storm, and keep the game close entering the final period, they have a chance to upset the Champs for the second time this season. Nikola Jokic went off for a monstrous triple-double in the first matchup, but Houston got the best of the matchup, winning the contest by forcing everyone else to beat them, which worked in the Rockets’ favor.
Expect Denver to play much better on Friday night, as the Champs have no plans to be ousted from the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. The Lakers have already wrapped up a slot, and as more teams do, the rest of the teams who have a shot will be even more eager to secure their slot. Houston can’t earn a spot in the lockout round with a win tonight, but they can eliminate Denver’s hopes if they knockoff the Nuggets for a second time this season. This is the final In-Season Tournament game for Denver unless the Nuggets advance to the next stage. For Houston to eventually advance to the knockout round, the Rockets will need to beat the Mavericks in Dallas next Tuesday in their final In-Season Tournament group matchup. But we’ll discuss that scenario if Houston can manage to pull off the upset… and beat a very determined Denver team on Friday night.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Denver Nuggets (10-5): Navy
Houston Rockets (7-6): “City Edition” White
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass