Rockets Aim to Sweep the Weekend, Host Pistons
Pit-Stop. Glass Plan. Less Brodie, More Beard.
James Harden’s magic propelled the Rockets to a 2-0 road trip, which concluded less last night. Houston returns home for a Saturday night matchup with the Detroit Pistons. The Rockets are looking to sweep the weekend, after a dominating performance by the Beard and co. in Orlando. It’s a pit-stop of sorts for Houston. After tonight’s contest, they’ll look for revenge against the Spurs on Monday, before heading back out on the road for 4 games over the Christmas holiday. James Harden is currently in a zone no player’s ever experienced. Ever. The Beard has 109 points in the last two games. And for all those people that say all Houston’s superstar does is shoot free throws, only 11 of his 109 points came from the foul line. Harden is sniper from long-range, deadly accuracy that doesn’t seem to be affected, regardless of the opposition’s defensive scheme. The Beard will try score 50 for the third consecutive game, a rare feat in the NBA, and something the league hasn’t witnessed in a while.
Detroit sits on the outside of playoff contention in the East. The Pistons are currently 10-15, and probably won’t make the postseason this year. Nonetheless, Detroit has an All-Star in Blake Griffin, and the NBA’s premier rebounding machine: Andre Drummond. Houston’s weakness is in the interior, and with Tyson Chandler still out with the flu, tonight’s game could pose matchup problems for the Rockets. Clint Capela will need assistance on the glass as he tries to hold off Drummond and Griffin for boards and loose balls. If Houston can contain Detroit’s dominant big men, they should win Saturday night at home.
It’s a home game for the Rockets against a bad team from the East. That means they should win, right? They should, but tonight is the third game in four nights for Houston. Expect to see tired legs, and nowhere near the shooting performance the Rockets put on last night. As is the custom for one game of of back-to-backs, Russell Westbrook is resting tonight for Houston. With no Brodie, look to see even more touches for the Beard. Hopefully, Harden brought some of that magic he displayed on the road back home.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Detroit Pistons (10-15): Red
Houston Rockets (16-8): “Space City” White
TV: 8 PM CT – AT&T Sportsnet SW