Rockets Host Pacers, Honor The Big E, to Start Lengthy Home-Stand
Classic Roots. Benna-Sleeper. Twogether.
Coming off their third win of the season, the Rockets return home to host the Indiana Pacers on their first “Hardwood Classics” night of the season. Houston will be donning new uni’s tonight. The squad will be repping jerseys that go back all the way to the San Diego days, the franchise’s birthplace. The Rockets played in San Diego from 1967, before moving to Houston in 1971. One of the greatest players in franchise history, Elvin Hayes, played during the San Diego days and was an influential part of the team’s move to Houston. Hayes will have his jersey retired tonight at Toyota Center during halftime, as the squad finally honors the legendary player in proper fashion.
Speaking of fashion, the Rockets will be sporting a different look on a retro-style court tonight. The jerseys are white with a hint of green and yellow, a nod back to the team’s originating San Diego roots. Personally, I think the jerseys are a nice change of look from the usual red, white, or, black (and sometimes blue). Will they affect the Houston’s performance on the court? Probably not, but the Rockets return home with momentum after winning on the road in Dallas in their previous game. The Pacers are hot themselves. Indiana is 7-6, but the Pacers have won four of their last five contests, including their last couple games. They’ve got one of the hottest rookies not named Banchero in Bennedict Mathurin. The fourth overall pick in last year’s draft raised some eyebrows for being picked so high near the top, but his play has lived up to the level he was chosen. Mathurin is a averaging almost 20 points per game, and if it weren’t for the first overall pick in Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, Mathurn would be the front-runner for Rookie of the Year. Houston needs to keep their eyes on Mathurin defensively if they want to finally win two games in a row.
It’s been a long time since the Rockets won consecutive games. Can the squad finally do it on The Big E’s night? They’ve got a great opportunity. Indy’s hot, but they’re not an overly dominant team. If Houston rides their recent momentum, and plays with the same physicality that led to their win in Dallas, the Rockets should be able to make it two in a row tonight. Regardless, it should be an entertaining night, as Houston honors Elvin Hayes, and the Rockets rock their classic look for the first time all season… all while searching for that elusive second straight win to start this home-stand.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Indiana Pacers (7-6): Yellow
Houston Rockets (3-12): “ Hardwood Classics” White
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: AT&T Sportsnet SW, NBA League Pass