After backing James Harden against the San Antonio Spurs, the Rockets essentially conceded the third seed in the Western Conference to the Denver Nuggets. Today, in their second consecutive game, the Rockets will rest Russell Westbrook, but will be supported by the return of Harden and Eric Gordon.
Gordon was apparently a standout in pre-season preseason bubble games, but in the games themselves he pulled badly from the deep. If Houston is to succeed when the games start to matter, they need EG to be their third best player on offense.
Indiana enters today’s game after a 114-92 loss to the Miami Heat in the much anticipated TJ Warren-Jimmy Butler reunion. Warren was the talk of the bubble, as he lost 53, 39, 34 and 32 points in six games in the bubble. Pass the score to Harden, but Warren can go absolutely nuclear and the Rockets must be prepared for fallout.
For Houston, these games are about playing at a high level by entering the playoffs. The main goal must be to stay healthy, with the secondary goal being Gordon’s assimilation into the offense. The result of today’s competition is mostly irrelevant.
Tip-off is at 3pm CT on NBA TV and AT&T SportsNet Southwest
