Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors game preview

A month ago, this game seemed like a heavyweight match to determine dominance in the Western Conference. For the Houston Rockets, it could reaffirm their place in the top tier of the West’s hierarchy and that the win in Oakland on Opening Night was no fluke. For the Golden State Warriors, it would be a chance to demonstrate their dominance once again and to lay waste to yet another potential challenger.

What a difference a couple of weeks makes.

The Rockets, in case you had forgotten, will be without James Harden, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute for a few more weeks and Nene for tonight.

The Warriors have dealt with injuries to everyone except Klay Thompson. They are now fully healthy with the exception of Andre Iguodala, who missed last night’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks with a hip/back issue, and Omri Casspi, who also missed that game with a back injury. Both are day-to-day.

The Dubs most likely got back to Houston before the Rockets, who had a longer flight in from Orlando. The only consolation is that the Warriors’ Big Four all played 34 or more minutes. Unfortunately, they’re so good that will hardly matter.

I’m not expecting much tonight. Mostly, I just want Mike D’Antoni to keep the minutes to a minimum and let the blowout happen. Houston needs to shift its focus to the other games on its schedule.

Tip-off is at 7pm CT on TNT