Houston seeks redemption against a depleted Memphis squad missing Morant. Can the Rockets rekindle their winning momentum and answer championship questions?
The Rockets will be looking for a bounce-back game tonight when they play in Memphis against the Grizzlies Friday at 7 PM CT. After losing their last two games and four of their last six, Houston is looking to get back in the winning column as they face a weakened Grizzlies team that will be without star player Ja Morant, who is nursing a season-ending elbow injury, along with three of their five starters.
After losing a historic overtime game against the Timberwolves on Wednesday night, Kevin Durant and the rest of the Rockets are hoping to right the ship before they head into the playoffs in a couple weeks. After the collapse on Wednesday night, they now sit in the sixth seed, a game and a half behind the Timberwolves and three and a half games in front of the Suns, who now hold the seventh seed.
The bigger question that remains to be seen is whether Kevin Durant made the right choice by going to the Rockets. Now in his 18th season, and at age 37, Durant was looking to add to a team with real championship hopes.
The Rockets held the two seed in the West last season but faced an early exit in the first round to the Curry-led Warriors. A youthful squad and a championship-pedigreed coach in Ime Udoka made it seem like Kevin Durant could be the missing piece needed to take the next step in contending for a championship in Houston.
After some early injuries, up-and-down streaks, and late-season struggles, the case still remains to be seen whether he made the right decision and if this young squad, led by one of the league’s best veterans, can truly take the next step.
We will see tonight if they can start making those next steps and get back to their winning ways as the playoffs quickly approach.