Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game preview

The Rockets head back on the road (ugh) to take on the Thunder once again

Two major notes about tonight’s Houston Rockets game before we get started with the preview:

1. The game is at 9pm local time. That’s a late start because…
2. The game is on TNT. It’s the first time Houston has played on TNT is 12 years (all stats approximate)

Now obviously, this game is more of a showcase for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will come into the day tied for first place in the Western Conference. The other team at the top of the West, Minnesota, plays the San Antonio Spurs earlier in the evening. Therefore, the Thunder will probably need to win to keep pace at the top.

The Thunder are of course also coming off a win at Toyota Center on Sunday night. The Rockets were the better team over the first 27 minutes, but the shots stopped falling and the turnovers started piling up. I’ve talked at length in this space about how this iteration of the Rockets wins its games. Generally speaking, the Rockets need to hold their opponents under 120 points while finding a way to get around 115 themselves. The Thunder average over 120 points per contest, so the task against this upstart contender is already an uphill battle.

I want to talk briefly about the Tari Eason injury because it’s back in the news with Ime Udoka stating that there is no timetable for Eason’s return and that he’s going to get multiple opinions before moving forward. Then, Tari’s mother chimed in on Twitter:

Here’s the thing: we all want what’s best for Tari Eason. If that means he sits out the remainder of the year, that’s fine. It will be a bummer, but most rational Rockets fans understand that this year isn’t THE year for Houston, and that the team will need a healthy Eason in the seasons to come if they want to make The Leap. The problem people have with the situation, at least from my vantage point, is that the Rockets, like the Astros before them, have been cagey with details. I work in the medical field, so I appreciate the need for patient privacy. However, professional athletes generally don’t enjoy the same privacy rights as civilians, due in some part to gambling and fantasy sports. I think most fans are just frustrated that Tari has been suffering from “leg injury” for months now. Is it possible to get some more details? I’m not asking for x-rays or doctor’s notes. But could Eason maybe describe the pain, or how/when the setback occurred? I think most (again, rational) fans would understand and sympathize. I just keep coming back to Kawhi Leonard and his camp refusing to discuss his injury during his final year in San Antonio. That lack of communication rubbed fans the wrong way and has led to Kawhi getting booed every time he travels to play the Spurs. There were other factors there, but I think it’s safe to say that no one wants there to be any animosity. But maybe I’m being idealistic. Feel free to call me an idiot in the comments.

Tip-off

9pm CT

How To Watch

TNT

Injury Report

Rockets

Tari Eason-OUT (leg)

Thunder

None

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Looking ahead because we can

Thursday night on the road in Phoenix

Poll