The ghost of Steve Novak returns to the Yote.
It's the biggest game of the season for the Rockets yet again. And just like all the games left, it's a trap game.
The Kings are 11-26 on the road, and it's up to the Rockets to make that 11-27. But the Kings had won 4 games in a row until losing to Denver on Friday. They then rebounded by beating Utah (YES!).
Hopefully this game is more exciting than that joke of a National Championship last night. Man, that was one of the worst games I have ever seen. Ever. It made me want to listen to "Friday." OK, nothing could make me want to listen to that piece of crap. If you want an offensive explosion, you'll love this video:
Steve Novak Mix by Patrys15 (via BigPatrys15)
Matchups after the jump.
PG: Kyle Lowry vs. Tyreke Evans:
Yes, Evans in more of a 2 than a 1, but he is officially listed as a point guard, so that's where I'll put him. Lowry probably won't guard him too much, and if he starts to really cause trouble, Courtney Lee will have to stick with him like glue.
Evans has been injured for most of the season, and I think Lowry has the advantage based on consistency and how well he's been playing during this stretch. Remember, this is not a "Who is better overall" or "Who has more upside" advantage. It's an advantage in this game. That's Lowry. I will not listen to arguments.
Advantage: Rockets
SG: Kevin Martin vs. Marcus Thornton:
Thornton has averaged 22/5/4/2 on 46% shooting since joining the Kings in a trade 21 games ago.
He's changed the way the Kings work and can score in a number of different ways. He's shooting 39% from the three point line, and shoots well when he gets to the foul line.
Sound familiar. K-Mart Lite is still not as good as K-Mart Classic.
Advantage: Rockets
SF: Chase Budinger vs. Francisco Garcia:
Garcia has averaged 12 points per game against the Rockets this season. The Rockets have also held him to one rebound and assist per game.
This is one of the rare games where Chase's poor defense won't hurt the Rockets at all. Sure, Garcia can go off, but Chase is still the better player in this situation.
Advantage: Rockets
PF: Luis Scola vs. Samuel Dalembert:
Dalembert and Cousins are both 6-11 and play center, but they both start so one has to be power forward. I chose Dalembert arbitrarily.
Dalembert is the kind of big that would help the Rockets a lot, but it wasn't meant to be. It is what it is. Now, we have to watch longingly as he swats Rockets shots away from the basket and imagine what could have been.
Advantage: Even
C: Chuck Hayes vs. DeMarcus Cousins:
With two bigs, the Rockets have to find a way to still have a presence in the paint and cause foul trouble. Cousins has been playing much better as of late, and is showing why the Rockets wanted him so badly at the draft (supposedly).
Advantage: Kings
---
Bench:
Kings: Beno Udrih, Jason Thompson, Darnell Jackson, Donte Greene, Omri Casspi
Rockets: Goran Dragic, Courtney Lee, Brad Miller, Patrick Patterson, Jordan Hill
Advantage: Rockets
Injuries:
Kings: None really
Rockets: Yao out
Prediction: Rockets pull away in the third, win by 11


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