Houston Rockets At Phoenix Suns: Game 77: Sneak Peek Analysis
The Houston Rockets are at the final stages of a brutal road trip that had them face some stiff competition.
The Houston Rockets are at the final stages of a brutal road trip that had them face some stiff competition.
Two tough back-to-back losses in Portland and in the Bay Area for the Rockets has given this team quite a jolt but they’ll be fine come playoff time.
They’re actually fine now but I’m sure they’re extremely tired.
They’ll have a three-day break after tonight and won’t play until Wednesday back at home.
The Rockets will face the 22-55 Phoenix Suns this evening, an up-and-coming team that is heading straight for the lottery.
It should be a quality win for the Rox but you never know how this Suns team will play as they come out each game scrapping for every opportunity that they can get.
We’ll have to see.
So what’s next?
So who’s leading the charge for the Suns?
Devin Booker leads the team in scoring (21.9 PPG), Tyson Chandler in rebounds (11.5 RPG). Eric Bledsoe is in charge of the dimes (6.3 APG) and steals (1.4 SPG). Alex Len is the top shot-blocker (1.3 BPG).
Let’s talk about what the Suns do well.
They’re a solid rebounding team. The Suns are tied for 11th — tied with the Rockets — in rebound rate, taking down 50.4 percent of missed shots.
They love to have the basketball in their hands. The Suns are 2nd in PACE Factor, averaging 102.8 possessions per game.
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Injuries:
Ryan Anderson sprained his right ankle after getting tangled up with DeMarcus Cousins Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. There currently is no timetable for his return but I suspect they’re going to take their time because of the immense amount of depth we have on the roster. We’ll miss his three-point shooting that he contributes but as this team has done all season, they find a way to persevere. He was expected to be out for two weeks as he nurses his ankle back to full recovery. With things going into the 2nd week, his return should be right around the corner but we’ll see.
James Harden has been battling a left wrist injury that has been lingering since March 20th. He has played through it and has reiterated that he’ll continue to do so. I personally would like for him to see him rest to allow that soreness to heal but I understand and admire his competitiveness. However, there comes a time where his injury could be detrimental to his production and the team so here’s to hoping it doesn’t get to that point.
As for the Suns, Leandro Barabosa is battling a hamstring injury and has been deemed a game-time decision for tonight. Dragan Bender has sustained an ankle injury, keeping him out at least until the middle of the week. Eric Bledsoe (knee), Tyson Chandler (rest) and Brandon Knight (back) have all been shut down for the season.
Source(s): Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle
Matchups to Watch:
- Patrick Beverley vs. Tyler Ulis
- James Harden vs. Devin Booker
- Clint Capela vs. Alex Len
- Trevor Ariza vs. T.J. Warren
Prediction:
114-105 in a Houston Rockets’ win!
The Rockets are on the road to take on the Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CDT.
The game will be televised on ROOT Sports Southwest/NBA TV and broadcast on SportsTalk 790AM (KBME), Sirius/XM/SiriusXM Internet 890 and La Ranchera 101.7 FM (KNTE) & 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.
Go Rockets