Game 17: Houston Rockets At New York Knicks Preview
The Houston Rockets take on the New York Knicks for the 2nd time in as many weeks and it’s going to be a must-win for both.
It’s a Rockets’ must-win because they need to get back to respectability and the Knicks want to get off the three-game skid that they’re on.
The Rockets were able to pull out a gritty 116-114 win against the lowly 0-17 Philadelphia 76ers as they continue to shatter major professional sports records for futility.
They had me worried after blowing an 11-point lead down the stretch but Dwight Howard stepped up big time in the paint preventing the 76ers from doing the unthinkable against us.
That game would’ve been in hand had we made our free throws down the stretch. When James Harden is missing his free throws, then there’s a problem.
As for the Knicks, Kristaps Porzingis has been getting into foul trouble as of late, limiting his minutes and scoring only 11 points in their 97-78 loss to the Miami Heat, their last game. He also has not shot well either, going 10-for-31 (a 32 percent clip) within their current skid.
Nonetheless, Howard is back in the lineup and will be playing in back-to-backs for the first time this season as he has been cleared by doctors to do so.
He’ll make a world of difference in this match up tonight so we’ll have to see how it goes.
So who’s leading the charge for the Knicks?
Not surprisingly, Carmelo Anthony leads the Knicks in scoring (22.1 PPG) and in assists (3.2 APG). Rookie phenom Porzingis is the team’s top board-getter (9.1 RPG) and shot-blocker (1.90 BPG) as well as Langston Galloway in steals (1.10 SPG).
Let’s talk about what the Knicks do well.
They take care of the basketball. Since the Rockets last match up, the Knicks have elevated to 2nd in the league in turnover ratio with just a measly 12.5 percent of their total possessions ending in a turnover.
They attack the boards for the second chance. The Knicks have also elevated to 4th in the league in offensive rebound rate (27.1).
Injuries:
Donatas Motiejunas will be making a return to the court soon, there’s no timetable that has been set but he’s doing more-and-more everyday. J.B. Bickerstaff said that he’s doing one-on-one drills and he is “salivating” for the day when he can get back into the lineup.
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Sam Dekker had back surgery last week and is expected to miss about three months.
There are no injuries to report for the New York Knicks.
Source: Jenny Dial Creech and Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Three Things to Watch:
- Battle of the Front Court — Terrence Jones/Marcus Thornton vs. Carmelo Anthony and Trevor Ariza vs. Porzingis
- James Harden vs. Arron Afflalo
- Will the defense show some improvement?
Prediction:
107-105 in a Rockets’ win!
The Rockets hit the road to take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CST.
The game will be televised on ROOT Sports Southwest and broadcast on SportsTalk 790 AM (KBME) and La Ranchera 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.
Go Rockets!
Next: This Rockets Season Is A Wash