Houston Rockets vs. Brooklyn Nets game preview

Skipping the matchups today because of injuries making that a fool's errand.

Both Patrick Beverley and James Harden are questionable. You have to wonder if Beverley getting the flu is not the worst thing in the world for the Rockets. Now obviously the flu sucks. A lot of us have been there and we know how miserable being that sick can be. But it's allowed Bev to get away from basketball for a while and sometimes that's what a player needs. Patrick Beverley plays like a man possessed to go after the basketball at all times, so it's likely that he's burned out and exhausted.

James Harden is a different story. That ankle sprain looked bad, and again I think plenty of us have been there. My personal and professional experience with ankle sprains have been that they always hurt when they happen, but recovery time is can range from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Now in the NBA guys can get shots and have the best care possible. Last year Harden played through an ankle injury that bothered him until he was forced to sit out a couple of games to get it right. If the Rockets were in the Eastern Conference they could probably afford to rest him but with how tight the standings are as well as how difficult Houston's upcoming schedule is, I expect him to try to give it a go.

The Nets started Deron Williams, Alan Anderson, Markel Brown, Joe Johnson, and Mason Plumlee in their last game. They have a really good bench with Brook Lopez, Jarrett Jack, and Rockets Killer Thaddeus Young coming off the pine. That's a group to give Houston's Headband of Brothers a run for their money. Speaking of really bad segues...

ANY TIME YOU'RE PLAYING BROOKLYN YOU HAVE TO HAVE BACON PANCAKES!!!

Good luck keeping that out of your head.

Schedule breakdown: Both teams played on Wednesday. Brooklyn lost a close game in New Orleans and Houston played at home against the Clippers.

Tip off is at 7pm CST.