Rockets Host Nuggets in Pivotal West Matchup
Chasing Third. Staying in Second. Free to Harden.
Denver comes to town on Thursday night as the Rockets look to warm back up after returning home from Milwaukee. The Nuggets have been warming up themselves. At one point, it looked as though Houston could grab the 2-seed in the West. It’s still mathematically possible, but the second seed is likely out of reach. The Nuggets will likely be the second seed, unless they can sneak ahead of Golden State for the top spot. Which would mean Houston would have to face their nemesis even sooner than later. The Rockets don’t want that scenario unfolding. Look for the team to have a bounce back victory in front of the home fans tonight.
This game is important for many reasons, but a win helps the Rockets avoid Golden State until later in the playoffs. If the Nuggets get the top seed, the Rockets would likely face the Warriors in the second round, instead of the conference finals. A win tonight would give the Rockets the tiebreaker if Denver were to collapse over its final 7 games (their remaining schedule is among the toughest in the league). It also pushes the Nuggets a little further from the top of the West.
Toyota Center will be giving out “Free to Harden” shirts for all fans in attendance tonight. The slogan is part of Adidas campaign to promote the Beard for MVP once again. It’s free to Harden to care about the MVP, but there should be bigger goals on his mind. The importance of this game in the outcome of the overall playoff seeding is monumental. Hopefully, Harden and the Rockets realize this and get their act together. They face a hot, talented Nuggets team. Led by their All-Star Center Nikola Jokic, this is the healthiest Denver’s roster has been since playing Houston all season. The Rockets have a lot of work to do, but they should be able to beat the Nuggets tonight, and prove that they are the better team. Elite squads win the important ones. And this game is huge for the Rockets. It’s time to warm up for the season’s final seven games and get back in the win column.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Denver Nuggets (50-23): White
Houston Rockets (47-28): Red
TV: 7 PM CT- NBA TV, ATT Sportsnet SW Alternate Channel