Rockets Return Home to Host Sliding Wizards
Better Back Half. Essentials. Fast Start.
After escaping Detroit with a narrow win over the Pistons, the Rockets return home for three straight games at Toyota Center. First up, Houston welcomes the Washington Wizards to town on Monday night. After starting the season 2-2, the Wiz have dropped their last four games, and are poised to dwell near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, as has been the case for more than a decade. Both teams played yesterday, so fatigue could be in store for tonight’s matchup.
Fred VanVleet will miss tonight’s game with a sore hamstring, so the Rockets will be down one of their starters. Steven Adams is also questionable for Monday night’s matchup, as has been the case for most games this season as the veteran eases back from a leg injury. Expect Amen Thompson to get the starting nod, with more minutes in line for Tari Eason, Houston’s energizer bunny. Besides the flying in for the dunk of the year in Detroit, Jalen Green has struggled over the last few games. Tonight is a great opportunity for him to get back on track against a bad Wizards team. Jordan Poole leads the way for a rebuilding Washington squad who also features the second overall pick in the draft, center Alex Sarr on their roster.
Houston will need to play better than the slugfest in Detroit if they want to beat the Wiz to begin this three-game home-stand. These are the essential games the Rockets can’t afford to lose if they want to make the playoffs in the competitive Western Conference. Matching up against a losing team at home, especially in the weaker East, Houston should win the vast majority of these games. Unfortunately, they already lost one of these “essential” games in their opening night collapse to the Charlotte Hornets. The Rockets have proven they’re better than that performance, going 6-3 on since the opener.
The squad needs to get off to a fast start. Houston can’t afford to overlook this bad Wizards team. They’re still professional basketball players, and if the Rockets let them hang around, Washington could make the proceedings dangerous come clutch time. Expect another close, potentially ugly game, but the Rockets should have enough firepower to pull out the win at home.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Washington Wizards (2-6): White
Houston Rockets (6-4): Red
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass