After a tight victory against Minnesota, Houston aims to snag another one against New Orleans. This year, the Rockets sit at 0-1 against the Pelicans, following a 133-128 defeat in overtime. From there, New Orleans picked up just four wins.
So far, the Rockets have shown flashes of real power mixed with some shaky stretches, pulling off wins in high-speed matchups, yet dropping others they should have claimed. In the latest outing, Kevin Durant dropped 39 points to beat the Timberwolves, highlighting his knack for those huge scoring bursts. When Houston locks in, their fast breaks and board work stand out; they often cash in on extra shots and own the glass.
New Orleans, though, packs a serious scoring punch when everybody’s fit, even amid all their troubles this campaign. Still, injuries and uneven play kept them from accumulating wins, and lately, betting lines favored the Pacers over them, pointing to deeper issues across the board.
Houston has to cut down on turnovers and draw solid efforts not only from Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun, but also from guys like Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Jabari Smith Jr too.
Tip Off
6:00 CT
How To Watch
Space City Home Network
Injury Report
Rockets
Fred VanVleet: Out (Acl),
Dorian Finney-Smith: Day-To-Day (Ankle),
Tari Eason: Day-To-Day (Ankle)
New Orleans
Herb Jones (right ankle sprain) – Out
Dejounte Murray (right Achilles rupture) – Out
