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The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs will go head-to-head in the first of two NBA preseason games between the two teams. In the Spurs’ first preseason game of the 2020-21 season, they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-108.
For the Rockets, this will be their third of four preseason games. Houston split its two games versus the Chicago Bulls without James Harden, the former MVP who has demanded to be traded to a contender.
Match Details
Fixture - Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs | NBA Preseason
Date & Time - Tuesday, December 15th, 8 PM ET (Wednesday, December 16th, 6:30 AM IST)
Location - Toyota Center, Houston TX
The Houston Rockets enter their matchup with the San Antonio Spurs, unsure whether James Harden will be part of the contest. He is expected to join team practice on Monday, so this could be his 2020-21 NBA preseason debut.
The San Antonio Spurs will hope to bounce back from their poor showing against the Thunder with their first NBA preseason win.
Houston Rockets Preview
The Houston Rockets have an uncertain future with or without James Harden in the lineup.
The Rockets traded Russell Westbrook for John Wall, signed four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to a one-year contract, and replaced Mike D’Antoni with new head coach Stephen Silas.
Wall looked good in his first two NBA preseason games after coming from injuries that kept him from playing the past two seasons. He had 13 points, five rebounds, nine assists, and two steals in 19 minutes of playing time in his first game back.
DeMarcus Cousins also had a good first two games for the Houston Rockets after coming from a torn ACL injury that kept him from playing all of last season.
P.J. Tucker and offseason acquisition Christian Wood might make their NBA preseason debuts in this game as well.
Key Player - John Wall
With James Harden’s status for this game a big question mark, the player that everyone should be watching on the Houston Rockets lineup is John Wall.
Prior to his injuries, Wall was one of the league’s most explosive point guards. A five-time All-Star and one-time member of the All-Defensive team, Wall is looking to redeem himself and regain his status among the elite playmakers in the game.
"I just knew I was back," Wall said after his Rockets preseason debut. "I know how much hard work I've been through the last two years. It was a surreal moment for me even though it was preseason."
Look for Wall to play between 15 to 25 minutes for the Houston Rockets as he tries to get acclimated to his new surroundings and to prepare his body for the long NBA grind.
Houston Rockets Predicted Lineup
G John Wall, G James Harden, F Danuel House Jr., F P.J. Tucker, C DeMarcus Cousins
San Antonio Spurs Preview
The San Antonio Spurs will hope to bounce back to claim a preseason win against the Houston Rockets with an experienced lineup that features veteran point guard Patty Mills coming off the bench. Mills had a sensational first preseason game with 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting.
Unfortunately for the Spurs, Mills was the only one who had it going offensively, as the entire San Antonio Spurs team shot 37.6 percent from the field against the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder.
LaMarcus Aldridge’s scoring and rebounding numbers were down last season despite playing virtually the same amount of minutes as the season before. The seven-time All-Star will be manning the frontcourt with plenty of help defensively from center Jakob Poeltl.
The San Antonio Spurs have to get their ship right when they face the Houston Rockets, who could be a difficult matchup, irrespective of James Harden playing or missing out on Tuesday.
Key Player - DeMar DeRozan
Except for the 2017-18 season when he took 3.6 three-point attempts per game, DeMar DeRozan has found it difficult to embrace the three-pointer.
In the San Antonio Spurs' preseason opener, DeRozan took one shot from beyond the arc and knocked it down. Even in a preseason game, DeRozan is reluctant to jack up shots from long-range, preferring to stay within his comfort zone in the mid-range area.
Though he hardly takes the shot that adds an extra point to his stats, DeRozan has been a consistent 20-point scorer the past seven seasons. The San Antonio Spurs will rely on him to give them a strong showing so they can notch their first preseason win.
San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup
G Dejounte Murray, G DeMar DeRozan, F Rudy Gay, F LaMarcus Aldridge, C Jakob Poeltl
Rockets vs. Spurs Match Prediction
James Harden's appearance could give the Houston Rockets the edge they need to defeat the San Antonio Spurs, who will not be too concerned about preseason game results.
Still, coach Gregg Popovich will allow his starters to warm up for the regular season, which starts in a week.
The Houston Rockets are going to be watched very closely should Harden show up for this game. Every play will be scrutinized to see if their franchise player shows any signs of disinterest playing for a team he doesn’t want to be a part of any longer.
Between the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets, the latter might be more engaged given how they need to become familiar with their new pieces.
The Rockets will more than likely prevail in this tussle between the two Texas teams.
Where to Watch Rockets vs. Spurs?
Local coverage of the game will be available on AT&T Sportsnet - Sou, CW35 and can also be live-streamed via the Official Spurs Mobile App. The game will also stream live through NBA League Pass.
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