Houston Rockets vs. Charlotte Hornets game preview

The 2021-22 Houston Rockets are unlikely to sweep anyone in a regular season series.

The Charlotte Hornets are one of the few teams that still present an opportunity to achieve this feat.

When these teams last met, the Rockets had finally ended a long streak against the Chicago Bulls and were looking to build upon their newfound positive vibes. The Hornets were 13-8 and fourth in the East. Houston won that game on the way to a 7-game winning streak. The Hornets went 4-8 after that game and currently stand at 17-17 and in eighth place.

After dodging them longer than anyone expected, the Rockets are now dealing with COVID protocols. They’ll be without DJ Augustin and Garrison Mathews tonight. For Charlotte, Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington will miss the game due to the protocols.

The good news for Houston is that they will get their point guard back. Kevin Porter Jr. returns tonight from his thigh injury. He last played during the aforementioned winning streak, and it will be nice to get him back into the lineup. After Jalen Green had a nice game in his return against Indiana, it will be nice to see if the returns stay fun.

Tip-off is at 6pm CT on AT&T SportsNet Southwest