Rockets Return Home for a Quick Visit, Host Spurs in Round 3 of I-10 Rivalry
The Franchise Guy. Reliable Cousins. Pit Stop.
“I feel like the franchise guy, now that James has left… I feel that’s my job, to be the leader of this team,” John Wall said recently. And so far this during this crazy season, that’s exactly who he’s been. Houston’s point guard looks to give their Rockets their 8th win in their last 9 games, as they host the San Antonio Spurs, tonight at Toyota Center. Both teams are in the thick of a crowded Western Conference standings. At 12-10, the Spurs hold the 6th seed. Sitting only half a game behind San Antonio, with a record of 11-10, Houston is sitting in the 10th seed. That can all change with a win tonight, as a victory would push the Rockets past the Spurs in the standings. And to beat their instate rival, who the squad’s facing for the third time already this season, they’re going to need their “franchise guy”, John Wall, to lead the team past a San Antonio team with the same goal as Houston: moving up in a jumbled, crowded West, with parity abound as we get the light to the halfway mark of the season can start to be seen at the end of the tunnel. No more talk of an early season. We’re well into this unique 72-game NBA regular season. And where about to find out what separates the pretenders, from the contenders.
It’s Round 3 between these I-10 rivals. The first two games between these squads came immediately after the James Harden trade. Houston was severely undermanned, yet came away with one of their most impressive wins of the season with a win in the first matchup. The Rockets were even more hindered in the second matchup, and couldn’t hang on to beat a well-coached Gregg Popovich team twice in a row, let alone short-handed. This time, Houston will be short-handed as well. In the Rockets win in Memphis on Thursday, Christian Wood suffered a nasty ankle sprain on the same ankle that caused him to miss time earlier this season. Luckily for Houston, an MRI revealed it’s just an ankle sprain, and nothing dire. The Rockets can’t afford to lose Wood long-term. He’s been a key factor in all of Houston’s wins when he’s been on the court this season. Unfortunately, Wood will miss at least a few games, including tonight’s tilt with the Spurs. The Rockets will rely on John Wall, Victor Oladipo, who rested in Memphis, and Eric Gordon, who’s been consistently impressive over the past few games, to bring the energy and lead the Rockets to victory. Jae’Sean Tate’s also coming off a career-high 19 points in Memphis, and will be the energizer bunny on Saturday night to keep Houston focused on defense. DeMarcus Cousins has been brilliant in games Christian Wood has missed this season. Especially recently, Cousins wound back the clock, and looked like the vintage All-Star Demarcus from years past, before the injuries. The Rockets need Cousins to continue this trend, and dominate the paint for Houston in Wood’s absence.
Coming off a four-game road trip, the Rockets are only making a pit stop back in Houston to host San Antonio. After tonight, five of the squad’s next six games are on the road, as the Rockets continue this road-heavy portion of their schedule. The biggest stars might not be on the court Saturday night at Toyota Center, but it’s still a huge game tonight for both teams. To get an idea of how close the Western Conference standings are, only one game separates the 4th (Denver Nuggets) from the 10th (Houston). The Sacramento Kings, currently possessing the 11th seed, and happen to play the Nuggets this afternoon, are a mere two games behind Denver. And the 13th-seeded New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder lurk closely as well, only three games behind the 4th-seeded Nuggets. Expect lot of movement in the standings out West over the next few days. Depending on how tonight’s matchup (and others across the league fare), the Rockets could vault themselves up to the 6th seed with a win over the Spurs. A loss, and Houston could potentially fall back to the 11th seed. It’s a close as it gets this time of year out West. Playing a familiar rival for already the third time this season, the Rockets need all they can from the Kentucky Reunion: featuring none other than Boogie Cousins, and Houston’s new “franchise guy,” John Wall. Despite not having Wood, the Rockets should be in good hands tonight… as long as their leader does his job.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
San Antonio Spurs (12-10): White
Houston Rockets (11-10): Black
TV: 7 PM CT – AT&T Sportsnet SW, NBA League Pass