Rockets Head to San Antonio for Battle with In-State Rival Spurs
The Worst of Texas. Open Interior. Returning House.
Tonight Houston battles a familiar divisional foe, the San Antonio Spurs, to begin a short two-game road trip. The Rockets take on a Spurs team that looks poised to miss the playoffs for the first time in 21 seasons. San Antonio is off to a rough start, with a 7-14 record on the year. In their previous game the Spurs got pummeled in a 34-point loss to the below-average Detroit Pistons. Expect Coach Gregg Popovich to have his team motivated and inspired to come back with a better performance tonight. Meanwhile, the Rockets are aiming for their third straight win, and look to keep climbing in the standings. Houston’s only three and a half games behind the Lakers for the top spot out West. Winning games against the lowly Spurs are the menial tasks the Rockets need to do throughout the season to ensure they finish as close to the top as possible. It sounds funny, saying lowly Spurs. Maybe because they’ve made the playoffs over the past two decades every season, and I’m not quite used to San Antonio’s club being subpar. They’ve housed the best team in Texas over the last two decades. Now, they’re officially the worst. A team I thought would finish 8th and sneak into the playoffs, now looks bound for the lottery, and rebuilding mode.
On Tuesday night, Houston needs to outrun the Spurs, and win the rebound battle. Look for San Antonio to come out hustling and with a lot of energy. Popovich certainly had a lot to say to his squad after their last game. The Spurs will be better tonight, but they shouldn’t be good enough to beat these Rockets. Divisional games are always tough, especially on the road. Houston needs to focus on the Spurs as a team with the potential to get back in the playoff race. There’s still a long way to go in this season, and San Antonio plays hard every night to counter the diminishing amount of talent that sits on the squad.
These Rockets are well-rested. They’ve played only one game over the past five days. Houston should have plenty of gas to the job done tonight in SA. Clint Capela returns from an illness tonight, but Danuel House remains out with a similar flu-like illness. Expect Ben McLemore to have another big game tonight, and Chris Clemons and Gary Clark will likely get open opportunities to shine as well. LaMarcus Aldridge is out for the Spurs, giving Clint Capela more space to operate in the interior. Don’t be surprised if Capela has another monstrous game on the glass, he should feast on a Spurs’ frontcourt missing Aldridge. San Antonio still has DeMar DeRozan, and a group that plays hard. Unfortunately for DeRozan, his defensive assignment tonight is James Harden. The Beard, fresh off a 60-point game and two days of rest, is primed for another big game tonight. It’s hard to imagine a player scoring 60, or even 50 points in consecutive games. It’s rare, but James Harden is a rare breed. If anyone is crossing the half-century mark in the NBA tonight, it’s Mr. Harden. Just look at the last time the Beard played the Spurs: he didn’t score 60… he scored 61.
AT&T Center: San Antonio, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (13-6): Black
San Antonio Spurs (7-14): White
TV: 7:30 PM CT – AT&T Sportsnet SW