For a second consecutive day, the Rockets are having a home game postponed due to frigid weather and the resulting power and water crisis throughout Houston and much of Texas.
Roughly 24 hours after the NBA postponed Houston’s Friday home game versus Dallas, the league came to the same conclusion for Saturday’s scheduled game against Indiana. In both cases, the NBA cited “a government shutdown of Toyota Center because of severe weather conditions.” Each game will be rescheduled at a later date.
“There’s a lot that kind of goes into it, as far as hotel rooms for the teams that are coming in, [and] as far as power and water as far as Houstonians going through this,” said Stephen Silas, head coach of the Rockets. “It’s a big deal. We need to be conscious of them.”
While the Rockets are planning on returning to Houston tonight there’s no guarantee they play their back-to-back at Toyota Center this weekend:
“There’s a lot that kinda goes into it as far as hotel rooms for the teams that are coming in, as far as power and water…" pic.twitter.com/w9Bl4O2QRQ
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) February 18, 2021
Houston’s next scheduled game is Monday versus Chicago, also at home. City officials anticipate being able to lift the boil water notice by then, which could give that game a better chance to proceed.
For the reeling Rockets (11-17), who have lost seven straight, the postponements come at an opportune time. Houston has three injured starters in Christian Wood (right ankle sprain), Victor Oladipo (right foot strain), and PJ Tucker (left thigh contusion), and the revised schedule allows them extra days to recover before missing any more games.
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Rockets-Pacers game Saturday in Houston is being postponed due to continued government shutdown because of severe weather conditions, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 19, 2021