Three weeks ago in Milwaukee, the Rockets mounted a substantial challenge against a loaded Bucks team led by a duo of perennial All-Stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. It wasn’t quite enough to win, but Houston certainly made a positive impression.
Now, as the Bucks (25-10) pay their return visit to Houston’s Toyota Center, the upstart hosts are looking to finish the job and wrap up their season-long homestand of seven games with a bang.
One problem for Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet’s Rockets (17-16) is timing. Though they are at home, Saturday will be night two of a challenging back-to-back after playing the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, the Minnesota Timberwolves, on Friday night. Only 24 hours later, they face what is currently the No. 2 seed out East.
Friday’s result means the Rockets won’t enter with much momentum, since Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves won in a rout.