Hobbled Rockets Limp into New Orleans, Hoping for Splashing Returns
Challenge in the Big Easy. Eye for an Eye. Stylish Road Closure.
The Rockets close the weekend with their final road game of the decade, and it’s going to be quite the challenge. Houston visits New Orleans, a divisional opponent. The Pelicans and their 10-23 record don’t strike fear in the hearts of people like certain teams, but tonight’s matchup in the Big Easy will be anything but easy for Houston. It’s the second game of a back-to-back for the Rockets, who beat the Nets on Saturday night back in Houston. As is protocol for this entire regular season, Russell Westbrook will rest on the second night of a back-to-back. Clint Capela is still out with a contusion, and James Harden apparently is dealing with a sprained toe, and will miss tonight’s game. When the Beard, who almost never misses a game, one of the league’s most durable players, can’t give it a go, you know he’s hurting. And that means the rest of the roster needs to step up. Lucky for Houston, as they lose their MVP, hopefully just for the night, their Sixth Man returns, hopefully for the season.
Eric Gordon will play his first game after missing 21 games with a knee injury. The last time Gordon played? On November 11th, against these Pelicans, right here in New Orleans. And EG had arguably his best game of the season, scoring a season-high 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting. Gordon had a rough start to the season, but seemed to find his groove in New Orleans, before suddenly announcing a knee surgery was necessary. Hopefully, Gordon’s knee is working properly, and the sights and sounds of the Big Easy will help EG regain the groove he found in New Orleans in his last game.
The Rockets will use plenty of different rotations on Sunday night. Expect to see everyone on the squad get an increase in minutes. It’d be nice if Houston could win comfortably, but this game is lining up to be a challenge. Nonetheless, the Rockets are entirely unpredictable at times. Who knows? Despite all the absences, Houston’s still boasts one of the league’s deepest rosters. They could win comfortably and blow past the Pelicans. Men in red will be playing who usually don’t see close to as much court time. Despite a decrease in roster talent, expect the squad the Rockets trot out on the floor tonight to play extremely hard at both ends.
Despite a record of 10-23, and still no signs of Zion Williamson, the Pelicans are in a groove, winners of three straight, the longest current winning streak out West. And those three victories were impressive. New Orleans is coming off impressive road wins in Portland and Denver. In the Pels’ last game, they blew out playoff-bound Indiana by 22 at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans is grooving right now, and Houston is flying into a matchup that will be essentially determined by hustle plays. Look for P.J. Tucker to have a huge game if the Rockets are going to somehow escape NOLA with a victory.
Tonight marks Houston’s final road game of the decade, as the squad tries to close the weekend with a win in New Orleans. But without Harden, Westbrook, and Capela, Houston’s “Big 3,” the Rockets are severely undermanned. Houston needs great ball movement and communication on both ends to come out with a victory. It’s the first game all season Houston will be without the Beard. Tonight will prove how far the rest of the Rockets have come as we approach the season’s midway point. Victory in New Orleans would be a stylish way to close this decade of Rockets basketball on the road. A win on Sunday night is achievable, but certainly challenging… nothing comes easy in the Big Easy.
Smoothie King Center: New Orleans, Louisiana
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (22-10): Red
New Orleans Pelicans (10-23): White
TV: 7 PM CT – NBA TV, AT&T Sportsnet SW