Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers game preview

It’s a quick turnaround tonight as the Houston Rockets flies from Phoenix to the City of Angels to take on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Tonight’s game is a back-to-back for both squads. The Clippers are actually on a 4-game losing streak, and the Rockets are nursing a 3-game slide. So someone is finally getting a win tonight. The Rockets are still without a road win.

The Clippers are considered real challengers to the NBA title, and when fully healthy, their depth is going to be a real weapon. We’ve seen every year where the best teams are able to adjust their rotations based on matchups and advantages. Ivica Zubac might be great against the Nuggets, but won’t be as necessary against the Mavericks. The Clippers are loaded with wings and length, and they can pull off the Swiss Army knife trick pretty well.

The story tonight is going to be John Wall playing against his old team. Wall is shooting 50% from the field and 29% from deep in four games to the tune of 15 points per contest. Wall’s situation in Houston was always an interesting one. The Rockets wanted Wall to be a mentor to its younger players, and while Wall agreed at first, he changed his mind later. The Rockets stuck to keeping him off the active roster, and it probably irked Wall. Still, neither side has ever said anything outright about the other, so who knows? But I’m guessing Wall would like to drop 30 tonight.

I expect Houston to still be missing Eric Gordon and Bruno Fernando tonight.

Kawhi Leonard is out with a knee injury, and Robert Covington is in the health and safety protocols.

Tip-off is at 9:30pm CT on AT&T SportsNet Southwest