Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards game preview

The Houston Rockets go for the season sweep against the Washington Wizards tonight at Toyota Center. In the first matchup, this happened:

That win snapped an 8-game losing streak. It was a welcome win, but did not create momentum for Houston, as they got blown out in their next three games.

The Wizards started the season well and were living the high life after trading away Russell Westbrook for an actual rotation. They have fallen to 30-40 and need a miracle to reach a play-in spot.

Looking around the league, losing is still on the menu. It seems the bottom teams have all committed to losing out.

4. Oklahoma City (20 wins): 8-game losing streak

3. Detroit (19 wins): had a 12-point second half lead against Cleveland and promptly put in their bench to blow the game

2. Orlando (18 wins): 3-game losing streak, clearly upset they beat the Rockets after the All-Star break

Houston has a relatively easy remaining schedule. According to winning percentage, Houston has the 5th-easiest schedule. OKC is 3rd-easiest, but they aren’t trying at all. Orlando and Detroit are 7th and 8th, and both teams play the Thunder (the Magic play them twice). So those might be the only games that any of those teams win for the rest of the season. And if Houston stays in the bottom spot, they are guaranteed a top 5 pick in the NBA Draft. I know I’m a broken record at this point, but a top 5 pick is better than a top 6 or 7 pick. It’s just math.

Tip-off is at 7pm CT on AT&T SportsNet Southwest