The conclusion to an NBA season can feel like something of a slog for young and rebuilding teams like the 2022-23 Houston Rockets, After all, they’ve already been eliminated from the playoff race.
In this case, Monday night’s visit to face the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden — widely known as the mecca of basketball — could perhaps offer them a jolt. Since the Rockets play in the Western Conference and the Knicks the Eastern Conference, they only have one visit to the Garden per season, and their last came way back in November 2021 at the start of the 2021-22 campaign.
For rookies like Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, it’s their first time to play in downtown Manhattan. But even for Houston’s players with a bit more experience, such as Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Alperen Sengun, it’s been a while since they’ve played on that stage.
Will the Rockets be able to take advantage of that Garden spotlight versus Julius Randle and the Knicks, who are looking to end a three-game losing streak as they approach the 2023 playoffs? They might need the energy boost, since the Rockets will be on night two of a tough road back-to-back after losing at Cleveland on Sunday. Fortunately, it is Houston’s final back-to-back of the 2022-23 season.