Rockets Visit the Desert for First of Two Meetings with Suns
Part 1. Star-Studded Valley. Offensive Tuneup.
The Rockets head West to the Valley of the Sun as they battle the Phoenix Suns. Tonight’s contest is the first of two straight in Phoenix to close-out this road trip for the Rockets. Houston is 1-1 so far against the Suns this season, with their latest victory coming six days ago back at Toyota Center, 114-110. The Rockets have yet to play this Suns team in Phoenix this season, and given how Houston has played on the road, expect these next two games to be exponentially difficult for the Rockets compared to the previous matchup between these squads.
The Suns will still be without Bradley Beal for this matchup, but Jusuf Nurkic will be available. Nurkic didn’t play in the previous contest between these conference foes. Phoenix still has two of the NBA’s most lethal offensive weapons in Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The Rockets have to hope their shots aren’t falling, or Houston will be in for a long night.
Houston desperately needs an offensive tuneup if they want any chance to keep pace with an offensively dynamic team like Phoenix. The Rockets have failed to reach the 115-point mark over their last three games. Houston needs their shots on the perimeter to start falling, and they’ll have a chance to steal a game from the Suns on Thursday night.
Footprint Center: Phoenix, Arizona
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (25-33): White
Phoenix Suns (34-24): Purple
Tip-Off: 8:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass