The Houston Rockets are in action on Thursday evening and they get ready to play in a drama packed matchup. Check out the TV schedule with game time and opponent as the Rockets hit the court as they look to improve on a 4-1 start to their 2013 season.
TV Channel: TNT
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Opponent: Los Angeles Lakers
Yes. This year's biggest acquisition for the Rockets will face his old team. At least he will be within friendly confines as the Rockets will host the game.
As expected, the Rockets are playing very well. They are 4-1 in 2013, suffering their only loss of the season to the Los Angeles Clippers. For TNT analyst, Charles Barkley, the Clippers are the team to beat, but the Rockets surely do not lack talent. They have a roster filled with players who have been to the postseason or played in pressure filled markets.
Through the first five games of the season, it has been the Rockets' last three big acquisitions that have scored the most points. James Harden, Dwight Howard and Jeremy Lin are dropping the points and leading the Rockets' scoring. Harden is averaging over 25 points, Howard just over 17 and Lin is up to 15 points per game. In fact, these are only three of six players in the Rockets' roster averaging double figures in points scored, which is helping the Rockets score just under 110 points per game.
The Lakers will have their hands full. They do not have a team that can match the talents on the Rockets' roster. The do not have an answer for Harden, let alone the combination of Omer Asik and Howard. The Lakers have Pau Gasol and Chris Kaman, but those guys are simply not as athletic as the Rockets' big men.
L.A. can score points and their bench has provided some offense, but they lack experience and the drive that will continuously allow them to win games. Gasol leads the team with 14.6 points, while Xavier Henry is second in team scoring with 12.4 points per game. While the Lakers are scoring 100 points per game, their opponents are averaging 109 per meeting.
Which Lakers team will showup tonight? It's Lakers vs. Rockets as Howard faces his old ball club.
