Rockets Host Thunder in CP3’s Return to Houston
Familiar Faces. Revenge Game? Closing Strong.
For the first time since the biggest trade this offseason, Chris Paul returns to Houston. It’s also the first time that Russell Westbrook will be facing Oklahoma City, a place he called home for 11 seasons. The Rockets host the Thunder on Monday night at Toyota Center. Brodie and CP3 won’t be the only familiar faces. These two teams know each other quite well. Thabo Sefolosha spent the best part of OKC’s Brodie Era on the Thunder. Harden and Westbrook took Oklahoma City to the Finals when Kevin Durant was still on the team. Now they join forces in Houston, and face a weaker Thunder team looking more toward the future than focusing on the present.
Is it a revenge game? Only Chris Paul and James Harden truly know how things ended between Houston’s star backcourt of yesterday. Russel Westbrook, always completive and hungry, will want to beat his former team. And CP3 may have lost speed with age, but he hasn’t lost his competitive edge. The two will certainly want to leave imprints on tonight’s contest. Hopefully, James Harden can join the party and find his shooting rhythm. The Beard has struggled mightily from the field to start the season.
After tonight, the Rockets head on a four-game road-trip. Houston looks to close the opening home-stand strong. Expect the Rockets to be victorious over the Thunder tonight. But with Chris Paul in the building, Monday’s contest should be closer than expected. CP3 wants to be these Rockets. The team he helped inch within a hamstring injury of the Finals. And Westbrook wants to beat the Thunder. For Brodie, the opponent doesn’t matter. His energy level won’t change. Emotions will be running high at Toyota Center on Monday night. It will be hard to root against Chris Paul. Houston never achieved the goal they wanted, but they set the single-season franchise-win record with CP3.
The Rockets never wanted to trade Paul. His contract was a huge issue, but Houston could have kept Paul and gotten Russ, they surely would have. A report came out earlier today claiming Harden wanted to get Westbrook and keep Paul at the same time. But in the NBA, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Uniting Paul and Westbrook together wasn’t possible… the exchange was the biggest trade of the offseason. We’ll see how the results play out for both parties tonight. Expect the atmosphere to be electric for a game this early in the season. Houston looks to show the NBA world they benefited from the biggest trade of the offseason, by getting a win against a familiar face.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2): White
Houston Rockets (1-1): Red
TV: 7:00 PM CT – AT&T Sportsnet SW