For the Houston Rockets and each of the NBA’s other 29 teams, the long journey of the 2023-24 regular season begins now.
In the first game under new head coach Ime Udoka, Houston opens its regular-season schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 25, in Orlando with a 6 p.m. Central matchup versus the Magic.
On paper, it’s an intriguing game featuring two young, rebuilding teams from recent seasons who are each looking to take a step forward in the 2023-24 campaign. It’s also a potential one-on-one showdown between second-year forwards Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith Jr., who were selected by the Magic and Rockets at No. 1 and No. 3 overall, respectively, in the first round of the 2022 draft.
Houston and Orlando both enter with relatively strong momentum, having lost only one game apiece in preseason play.