Rockets Head to San Antonio, Face Spurs in First Road Game
Battle of the Alamo: Part 1. Texas Trip. Fighting Fatigue.
Houston embarks on their first road trip on Saturday night as they travel to the Alamo City to face the San Antonio Spurs. Tonight’s matchup is the first of two straight games in San Antonio for the Rockets. These squads will square off again on Monday night for a rematch back in Frost Bank Center. Houston needs to prepare to get familiar with this San Antonio squad, as the Rockets face the Spurs three times over their next six games. Tonight’s contest is also the first of three straight Texas road games for Houston, who will travel to Dallas on Thursday night to meet the Mavericks for a Halloween clash.
The Rockets are coming off their first win of the season, a 128-108 victory over the Grizzlies on Friday night. The Spurs lost their opening game in Dallas to the Mavericks, 120-109, and will be aiming to bounce back tonight, in their home opener. San Antonio acquired veteran guard and former Rocket Chris Paul in the offseason. CP3 will be instrumental for San Antonion in guiding the development of their newest draft pick, UConn’s Stephon Castle, as well as the continued evolution of a sophomore phenom known as Victor Wembanyama, or “Wemby.” In their opener, Jeremy Sochan and Julian Champagnie led the Spurs, scoring 18 points apiece. Wemby added 17 points and 9 rebounds, and veteran Harrison Barnes contributed 17 points for a rebuilding Spurs team.
Houston is aiming to fight tired legs tonight. This matchup is the third game in three nights for the Rockets. The Spurs have had a night off after last playing on Thursday night. It’s still early in the season, and this young Houston squad shouldn’t be too tired. The Rockets are also trying to improve as a team on the road this year, after winning only 14 games away from home last season. It’s hard to beat the same team twice in a row, especially on the road, but Houston has a solid chance coming off a solid win last night. San Antonio will be fired up for their home opener, and they beat the Rockets in an overtime thriller early last year, in what was the second game of the season for each team. Houston gets their first chance to show their “Road Warrior” mentality, as the road portion of their schedule begins on Saturday night.
Frost Bank Center: San Antonio, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (1-1): Red
San Antonio Spurs (0-1): White
Tip-Off: 7:30 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass