Rockets Seek Hospitality, Host Blazers to Begin Home-Stand
Searching for Urgency. Return of the Hoodie. Home, Sweet, Home.
Houston returns to Toyota Center on Wednesday night, hoping to get back in the win column as they host the Trail Blazers. The Rockets had a disappointing loss in Memphis last night, falling to another team with a losing record. Houston looks to bounce back against a Portland team that’s been one of the league’s most disappointing squads all season. The Blazers are also under .500, at 17-24 at the halfway mark of their season. A team many expected to be playoff-bound is currently on the outside looking in. Although they’re one of the seven teams in the West that have a chance at the final playoff spot, and Damian Lillard, well, has a history against Houston. Portland’s dynamic backcourt of Lillard and C.J. McCollum is still one of the best in the league, despite the Blazers’ record. Russell Westbrook returns for the Rockets after resting last night in Memphis. His absence was sorely missed, as James Harden forced too many bad shots with Houston lacking their secondary playmaker. Hopefully, Brodie’s return will get the Beard and the Rockets back on track.
Also returning to Houston is Carmelo Anthony. He only played ten games for Houston last year, before sitting out the rest of the season after the Rockets finally waived Anthony. Melo has been a better fit with Portland this season. Tonight marks his first game on the court facing Houston as a Blazer. The Rockets should bounce back, and blow this team out of the water at home. However, two things come to mind. First, the obvious: Houston’s obsessive tendency to keep it close with sub-par teams, a policy that frequently results in the Rockets shooting themselves in the feet. And secondly, Houston just has not been as good on the second night of back-to-backs recently, whether it be at home or on the road. Brodie will have to bring extra energy to make up for any of his teammates’ fatigue.
Wednesday begins Houston’s longest home-stand of the season, a four-game stretch, all featuring Western Conference playoff contenders. After tonight, the Rockets host the Lakers in a Saturday night showdown, before games with the Thunder Nuggets to close out the stretch. Portland is the worst out of the four teams visiting Houston over this stretch. The Rockets have to start playing with a sense of urgency, and up their level of defensive intensity. It’s crucial for the Beard and company to get a win to keep pace in the standings. They want their confidence riding high going into arguably the most anticipated game of the season: LeBron and the Lakers’ lone visit to Toyota Center on Saturday night. It will be a chance for the Rockets to get a game closer to the top spot, but they can’t overlook these Blazers like they did the Grizz in Memphis. It’s the first time a Houston sports team’s played at home since the reckoning that bellowed on Black Monday. Hopefully, the Rockets will be inspired by the city, and secure the victory they need to get back on the right trail.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Portland Trail Blazers (17-24): Red
Houston Rockets (26-13): White
TV: 8:30 PM CT – ESPN, AT&T Sportsnet SW