NBA Schedule: Rockets visit Warriors to open season

The Rockets head into this season with sky-high expectations, and it’s going to start off with a bang against arguably the team’s biggest rival, the Golden State Warriors.

The upcoming season has an early start this year, Oct. 17, which is about two weeks earlier than last season. The NBA is moving the season two weeks ahead in order to reduce the amount of back-to-backs each team has to play and hopefully reduce the amount of games in which teams opt to rest their star players.

This will be a big test for the Rockets, as it is what many analysts are predicting to be a preview for the Western Conference Finals. Golden State has knocked Houston out of the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, so there is definitely some bad blood, and it can all be hashed out right from the very start.

To add to the intrigue, the Warriors will eceive their championship rings before the game, which will tip at 9:30 p.m. CT and be broadcast on TNT.

Chris Paul will take Stephen Curry. James Harden will take... Draymond Green probably? Trevor Ariza will reprise his role as the Durant Defender. It will be a heavily hyped game.

Mark your calendars, Rockets vs. Warriors is just 68 days away!