Rockets Battle Warriors in Final Game Before the Break
New Look Dubs. Rivalry Extended. Midterm Exam.
In their final game before the All-Star break, the Houston Rockets host the new-look Golden State Warriors for a Thursday night showdown. This is a back-to-back for both squads, as both of these teams played last night. The Rockets are coming off a win over the Phoenix Suns at home. Meanwhile, the Warriors are coming off a road loss to the Dallas Mavericks. It’s Golden State’s first loss since acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat right before the trade deadline. Despite the defeat, the new-look Dubs already look refreshed and refueled, a dangerous mix for opponents.
And tonight will be a tough test for the Rockets as they’ll still be without their floor leader and starting point guard in Fred VanVleet. And Houston will be even more short-handed than usual, as Tari Eason will also miss tonight’s contest for injury management. The Rockets need Jalen Green to step up and hope Alperen Sengun delivers an All-Star performance. Houston barely beat the Golden State in these rivals previous matchup, squeaking by with a controversial one-point victory at home. And with the addition of Butler, these Warriors are the best version of the Dubs Houston has seen this season.
Golden State is still fighting to rise out of the Play-In area of the Western Conference standings. The Warriors are currently in tenth place with a 27-27 Meanwhille, the Rockets sit in fourth place, as they aim to rise back to the second spot, a position they held for a few weeks earlier this season. This is the fourth of a record five regular season meetings between these rivals, due to the previous matchup being an NBA Cup quarterfinal contest.
Tonight is the final game before the break for both of these Western foes. The mentally stronger team will likely be the winner of this matchup. As it seems nearly 95% of Houston’s games have gone down to the wire, expect another thriller at Toyota Center on Thursday night. The Rockets will aim to push their win streak to three games, and beat their nemesis, the Golden State Warriors, in consecutive games for the first time in nearly half a decade. And so far this season, whenever these clubs matchup, the affairs turn theatric and exciting… look for more of the same tonight as the Rockets play their final game before the All-Star break.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Golden State Warriors (27-27): Blue
Houston Rockets (34-20): “City Edition” White
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass