Rockets Try & Make it Look Easy in the Big Easy Against Pelicans
Clinch-Time. Trap Game Birds. Changing Seasons.
A lot has changed since Opening Night, when these teams first met. The Rockets and Pelicans will meet for the final time this season, on Sunday night in New Orleans. Houston can clinch a playoff-berth with a victory tonight. James Harden is coming off another all-time performance, dropping 61 points on the Spurs in the Rockets win on Friday. Despite their record, the Pelicans have given Houston problems this season. New Orleans has won 2 of 3 against the Rockets this season. In the first game of the season the Pelicans crushed the Rockets in Houston. And in the other loss to New Orleans, the trade rumors had just begun swirling around Anthony Davis, and the Pels had 4 of their top players injured.
The Rockets fell in both those games they should have won. Opening Night, Harden got his MVP trophy, and that took the focus from the game. The other loss, the Rockets overlooked the Pelicans like they have overlooked so many inferior teams this season. We call these games “trap games.” Every team has them on their schedule. Houston’s just fell for the trap way too often this season. And another lies ahead for the Rockets in New Orleans tonight. The Pelicans are struggling and have lost 7 of their last 8 games. Their backcourt of Elfrid Payton (recently with 5 straight triple-doubles) and Jrue Holiday will pose the biggest threat to a Rockets win tonight. Along with any minutes New Orleans allows Anthony Davis to play.
How the season can change. Drastically. For better or worse. The Rockets team that hit the court on Opening Night seems night and day different from this Rockets team. Houston will look to even the season-series, and prove their persistence in losing trap games is over. It’s happened twice against New Orleans already this season. If the Rockets can manage to hold a lead on the road, and put away a team early for once, they can garner extra rest for their upcoming showdown on Tuesday in Milwaukee.
It’s a big week for the Rockets. After tonight, they face the top seeds in each conference this week, in the Bucks and the Nuggets. Look for D’Antoni to tinker with the rotation a bit more, as Houston has a chance tonight to get better by experimenting and finding which lineups works bets together. But that’s a fat chance, considering the Rockets have had trouble holding big leads all season. We’ll see if they can buck that trend tonight, before they head off to Milwaukee. If the Rockets want to maintain the third seed in the West, they need to win tonight. They still have a chance at the 2 seed. However, they’ve lost too many games like tonight’s matchup. The second seed is wishful thinking. But it’s not out of reach for the Rockets. A lot can still change with 9 games to go.
Smoothie King Center: New Orleans, Louisiana
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (46-27): Black
New Orleans Pelicans (31-43): White
TV: 6 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW