Rockets Clash with Thunder in NBA Cup Semis
Neutral Vision. Necessary Villain. Win or Go Home.
For the first time in franchise history, the Rockets will play a regular season game at a neutral site. On Saturday night in Las Vegas, Houston faces off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals of the NBA Cup. To reach these semis, the Rockets finally beat the Golden State Warriors, ending Houston’s suffering of nearly four years at the hands of their Bay Area foes. Oklahoma City ousted the Dallas Mavericks, 118-104, in the quarterfinals to reach this stage. The Thunder still sit atop the Western Conference in first place. OKC has been playing extremely well lately, winning eight of their last nine games. The only loss? To the Houston Rockets back in H-Town earlier this month. Houston barely squeaked by with a three-point victory in that contest. And on a bigger stage, the task will be highly challenging against a Thunder team with more experience, especially in big moments.
The biggest question for the Rockets tonight came earlier this morning. Dillon Brooks was a late addition to the injury report, and is listed as questionable for tonight’s matchup. If DB9 can’t play, Houston has a serious problem. The Rockets are already heavy underdogs heading into this matchup. Without Brooks, the anchor of their defense and toughness, Houston has even less of a chance to pull the upset. Hopefully, Brooks can battle through his illness and suit up for the Rockets. He’s one of the toughest players in the NBA, and given the national stage tonight’s game is on, Brooks should be motivated as ever to play.
Chet Holmgren remains out for OKC, but they still have an arsenal of talented players. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points in the Thunder’s win over the Mavs. Isaiah Hartenstein was a force in the previous matchup between these teams in Houston. His battle with Aleperen Sengun in the paint is the key matchup to watch in tonight’s game. Jalen Williams seems to play better with each game as he continues playing at an All-Star caliber level. Defensive specialist Lu Dort is ready to be OKC’s version of Dillon Brooks. Houston’s been lucky as they’ve been relatively healthy all season long. If DB9 can play tonight, the Rockets should be able to at least make this game competitive. By finally downing their nemesis in the Warriors, Houston earned this little “playing vacation” out in the desert. But how long do the Rockets really want to stay in Vegas? A spot in the Championship game is on the line tonight. Houston’s mission to prolong their first stay in Sin City is simple: win or go home.
T-Mobile Arena: Las Vegas, Nevada
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (17-8): White
Oklahoma City Thunder (19-5): Orange
Tip-Off: 7:30 PM CT
TV: ABC