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Every superhero has a weakness.
Superman has kryptonite, Green Latern has the color yellow, and Daredevil has quality movies noise pollution.
Now a weakness isn't usually something powerful by itself. For example, you couldn't say the Rockets' weakness is the Clippers or Thunder, even though those teams are 2-0 against the Rockets. A lot of teams are "weak" to good teams. You wouldn't say Batman's main weakness was bullets, would you?
For the Rockets, their weakness is the Sacramento Kings this season. Twice these teams have played and twice the Kings have come out on top. Meanwhile, other teams in the NBA are 25-13 against the Kings, so they aren't harmful to anyone else.
Mostly, the Kings are young and athletic and can beat the Rockets at their own game. They also have a great center and a speedy point guard. Finally, they've stolen Rudy Gay and replaced him with a taller Jason Terry.
Tonight might be Houston's best chance to beat the Kings since the Kings played last night in New Orleans. The bad news? Sacramento won by 17 and DeMarcus Cousins played fewer than 30 minutes.
Tip off is at 7pm CST.
Matchups:
Point Guard: Patrick Beverley vs. Isaiah Thomas
Beverley didn't play in the second meeting between these two teams, and he wasn't good in the first. The Rockets need him to shut down Fake Zeke.
Advantage: Kings
Shooting Guard: James Harden vs. Marcus Thornton
Thornton practically carried the Kings for stretches of the second game.
Insert comment about opposing SG playing well against the Rockets, even though Thornton came off the bench in that meeting and was not torching Harden.
Advantage: Rockets
Small Forward: Chandler Parsons vs. Rudy Gay
Dammit Rudy. I thought we had something good. You would be the most inefficient shooter ever, chucking long off-balance twos. I would laugh at you.
I thought our relationship was special. Now you're all, "Oh wait I can totally take more threes instead of long twos. Oh, you want me to attack the basket? Sure I can do that for you."
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE RUDY GAY I LOVED PLAYING AGAINST???
Gay had 41 points on 16-25 shooting last night, along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. I know Parsons was stellar on Monday against the Blazers, but until he stops Gay I can only go one way with this.
Advantage: Kings
Power Forward: Terrence Jones/Donatas Motiejunas vs. Jason Thompson
Offensive rebound-putback dunk launch sequence initiated. Thompson always gets one against us.
Advantage: Even
Center: Dwight Howard vs. DeMarcus Cousins
This one is just like the Parsons-Gay matchup. Until Howard can outplay Cousins in a game, I have to go with Cousins.
Advantage: Kings
Bench
Rockets: Jeremy Lin, Ronnie Brewer, Omri Casspi, Greg Smith (maybe), Donatas Motiejunas (if he doesn't start)
Kings: Derrick Williams, Quincy Acy, Aaron Gray, Ray McCallum, Jimmer Fredette, Ben McLemore
Advantage: Kings
Prediction: Rockets FINALLY beat the Kings 110-102.
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