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After trading away James Harden the previous night, the Houston Rockets took on the San Antonio Spurs on January 14, in the first of two consecutive NBA matches between the two teams.
The Houston Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-109 in a closely-contested match that came down to the last two minutes of game time. Both teams have had a mixed start to the season and will be looking to add to their win tally and climb up the Western Conference standings.
Match Details
Fixture: Houston Rockets vs San Antonio Spurs
Date & Time: Saturday, January 16, 4:00 PM ET. (IST: Sunday, January 17, 3.30 AM)
Venue: AT&T CENTER, SAN ANTONIO TX
Check out the complete 2020-21 NBA Schedule here.
Houston Rockets Preview
The Houston Rockets have had a tumultuous season so far. However, after trading away their disgruntled superstar James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, the team seems to be playing with a chip on their shoulder and impressed in their previous fixture.
The team have a 4-6 record and are 14th in the Western Conference. First-time Head Coach Stephen Silas needs to rally his side and aim to make a run towards the playoff spots before it's too late.
Key Player - Christian Wood
One of the most underrated signings of this offseason, Houston Rockets center Christian Wood is quickly making a name for himself. He was expected to be a backup DeMarcus Cousins but has nailed down a starting spot.
Wood is putting up All-Star numbers and is averaging 23.1 points and 10.1 rebounds a game while shooting 53.2% from the field and 34.1% from deep.
In the last game against the Spurs, he led the Rockets to victory with 27 points and 15 rebounds and will be the key player in this second matchup too.
Houston Rockets Predicted Lineup
C Christian Wood, F P. J. Tucker, F Jae'Sean Tate, G Sterling Brown, G Ben McLemore
San Antonio Spurs Preview
On paper, the San Antonio Spurs have an intriguing mix of youth and experience. Led by Coach Gregg Popovich, the Spurs can hang with the best teams in the league on their night but are plagued by inconsistency.
Arguably the greatest basketball coach of all time, Gregg Popovich has struggled to settle on a system since last season. Although it would be foolish to bet against the Spurs making the playoffs, it will be interesting to see if they can string a few runs together as we go deeper into the season.
Key Player - Keldon Johnson
Keldon Johnson is in his sophomore season and has gone from a rotation piece to a very good two-way player in his time with the San Antonio Spurs.
He had a big game against the Houston Rockets and scored 29 points in 31 minutes while making 12-16 from the field and going 2-3 from beyond the arc.
For the season Keldon Johnson is averaging 14.8 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 48.2% from the field and 39.3% from downtown.
San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup
F Keldon Johnson, F DeMar DeRozan, C LaMarcus Aldridge, G Dejounte Murray, G Lonnie Walker
Spurs vs Rockets Prediction
After losing the first game, the San Antonio Spurs will be motivated to get revenge. The Spurs should have beaten the depleted Houston Rockets, who are without John Wall, in their first game.
They will start as slight favorites while the Houston Rockets will be looking for another big night from Christian Wood if they are to leave San Antonio unbeaten.
Where to watch Spurs vs Rockets?
The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest - SAN ANTONIO NBA TV and will also be live-streamed worldwide on the NBA League Pass.
Also Read: NBA MVP race 2020-21: Top 5 favorites for the award.
